According to Homer, there were two sirens on an island off the west coast of Italy near Naples. They would lure sailors to shipwreck upon the rocky cliffs with their enchanting songs and music. The Greek hero Odysseus, escaped their danger by stopping the ears of his crew with wax so they could not hear them. Odysseus wanting to hear the divine song, had himself tied to the ships mast unable to steer the ship off its course. Sirens in Greek art were believed to be a combination of women and birds in various forms, represented as birds with women's heads, feathers and the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps and lyres.

Originally, Sirens were male or female, but the male Siren disappeared from art around the fifth century B.C. and by the Middle Ages, the figure of the Siren had transformed into the enduring mermaid figure we know know.

Measures 12 piece set (grouped together) Flat backs.

13” tall x 7” wide x 1 1/4” thick