Ancient Greek pottery on display at the Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Rome

'Before Greek myths became marble, they were drawings.'

Gods and Monsters campaign — Hermes in cloud-white drapery and caduceus against terracotta, the trickster god between desire and death, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Ancient Greek-style artwork on a black vessel showing a nude female figure in terracotta orange against a black background, with part of a patterned amphora visible on the right.

Close-up of the caduceus — the serpent staff of Hermes, symbol of commerce, travel and the passage between worlds, Gods and Monsters editorial, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Hermes editorial — trickster god and protector of travellers in pearl knit mask, caduceus and talaria sandals, the sinister duality of a deity between pleasure and death, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Ancient Greek pottery depicting Hermes, 5th century BCE, Archaeological Museum of Athens — the messenger god in terracotta, Gods and Monsters editorial, THEA by Macabre Gadget

Close portrait of Hermes in pearl mask and winged helmet — the psychopomp of Ancient Greece, guide of souls to the underworld, Gods and Monsters editorial, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Gods and Monsters by Macabre Gadgets — Hermes in winged helmet and white drapery, ancient Greek amphora motif brought to life against terracotta, THEA mythological jewelry editorial

Ancient Greek pottery depicting seated Hermes with caduceus, Archaeological Museum of Athens, Gods and Monsters editorial, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Close-up of talaria sandals and Macabre Gadgets jewelry — winged sandals of Hermes against a terracotta ground, divine attributes and handcrafted silver, Gods and Monsters campaign, THEA by Macabre Gadgets

Hermes editorial by Macabre Gadgets — youthful messenger god in winged helmet, pearl mask and talaria sandals against a terracotta ground, Gods and Monsters campaign, THEA world

Gods and Monsters - Macabre Gadgets editorial

"Gods and Monsters" is a THEA campaign celebrating the phenomenon of Ancient Greek pottery—massively influential in its own time, yet mostly overlooked today.

Amphorae, oil lamps, countless plates and goblets. Despite the fact that these objects are usually witnessed only by blurry crowds of people rushing past them in museums, we invite you to slow down, take a closer look, and discover familiar Greek myths as they appeared long before marble.

Myths Before Marble

Over the centuries, different characters appeared and disappeared on Ancient Greek vessels, but the most prominent were gods and monsters. Thrilling, intimidating, and powerful, often framed by rich ornament, these mythological figures in black and red became some of the earliest examples of graphic design—minimalist, balanced, and anatomically precise.

One of the most common objects in the ancient world — a simple piece of pottery — suddenly became something far more interesting. The same domestic object could frame a horrifying creature or an epic battle, putting these scenes effectively on your shelf.

This is the very feeling we wanted to capture in our Gods and Monsters campaign: the contrast between the almost domestic atmosphere of a small photo studio trying to contain an ancient deity and an overgrown, dramatic, unsettling figure that seems to grow bigger the longer you look at it. The magical realism — or perhaps realistic mysticism — of the editorial is rooted in that contrast.

Characters

Siren

The first character to appear, representing the "monsters," is the hypnotizing Siren. Not the familiar little half-fish, half-princess creature, but a fierce and bloodthirsty harpy—a giant bird with a human head.

Coincidentally, sirens were among the first mythological creatures to invade Ancient Greek pottery, appearing from the beginning of the 7th century BCE. Their beautiful songs lured sailors onto rocky shores, where their ships would crash, leaving the unfortunate victims to drown and be devoured.

Our Siren reflects these qualities: mesmerizingly beautiful, covered in looted jewelry, both glorious and deadly. Like a true creature from the ancient past, an extinct wonder from a prehistoric world.

A gigantic black bird, covered in glossy feathers resembling broken pieces of black pottery. Her pale feet, armed with sharp claws, are bejewelled with rings and bracelets. Her face is covered with a mask — a tightly knitted pearl net that resembles a gleaming human skull, reminding us of the Siren's true nature while shielding her from unwanted gazes. A simple canonical hairstyle is decorated with a silver and pearl coronet.

Collage of four ancient Greek artifacts featuring sirens: a black-figure terracotta kylix attributed to Tleson Painter (ca. 550–540 BCE, MET), two Pentelic marble funerary siren statues from the Kerameikos cemetery in Athens (330–370 BCE), and a terracotta lid with a siren figure (540–515 BCE, East Greece, MET)

Black-figure terracotta kylix, attributed to Tleson Painter, Attic Greece; and Terracotta lid with Siren, East Greece, both 550–515 BCE, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Funerary statues of Sirens, Pentelic marble, Kerameikos cemetery, Athens, 330–370 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Hermes

Our second character in the "Gods and Monsters" campaign is Hermes — trickster god, protector of thieves and travellers, merchants and orators. Clever and witty, he always appears and disappears as he pleases, bringing fortune or delivering Zeus' will. But despite his cheerful appearance there is always something sinister about him.

His earliest representations carry this duality: born from the ancient herm stone — a boundary stone crowned with his head and marked by an unmistakably phallic body, Hermes was at once a sensual, explicitly phallic figure and a guide to the underworld — a god standing remarkably comfortably between desire, commerce, travel, and death.

Ancient Greek pottery depicting Hermes, ca. 480–470 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Athens, personal archive.

In Archaic Greek pottery, around the 6th century BCE, Hermes looks completely different from the modern objectified perception of him. His hair is long and braided, he has an archaic pointed beard, and his expression is often serious and stern.

That is Hermes Chthonios — the aspect of Hermes associated with the underworld. He guides the souls of the newly deceased to Charon, who carries them across the Styx.

Later, Hermes became more complex, taking on different functions and appearing much younger. Beardless and youthful, he is often depicted wearing a winged helmet and sandals.

We chose to depict him like this: youthful and swift, flying through the skies but making a detour to the underworld. We wanted to play with the contrast between his beautiful, youthful athletic appearance — often associated with very mortal pleasures — and the much darker side of this elusive deity.

Collage of four images: Hermes editorial by Macabre Gadgets — full figure in winged helmet, pearl mask and white drapery; close-up of talaria sandals; two ancient Greek pottery depictions of Hermes, ca. 480–470 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Athens

Two depictions of Hermes on ancient Greek pottery, ca. 480–470 BCE, Archaeological Museum of Athens, personal archive.

Just as in the previous look, we wanted to leave something to the imagination rather than take responsibility for portraying an ancient supernatural being too literally. Hermes' face is covered with a tightly fitted pearl mask, knitted in hypnotizing circles.

Talaria sandals, a winged helmet, and Hermes' signature caduceus give the impression of motifs from a classical Greek amphora coming to life.

To Be Continued

The Siren and Hermes are only the beginning. Two more characters will emerge from the pottery — each with their own mythology, their own jewelry, their own reading.

Return here as the campaign unfolds.