The Blindfolded Seeress (3)

In addition to the dish of Kassotis spring water, the Oracle at Delphi also held laurel leaves as a symbol of her office (laurel was sacred to Apollo, and the shrine and Oracle were dedicated to Apollo.

The knife (a replica Viking utility knife - the emännänveitsi, kvinnokniv, or woman’s knife) is a deliberate departure from the Greek origins of the Oracle at Delphi, moving this mythological character to north-west Europe.

A high-resolution version of this photograph is included in Paul Watson’s 2016 book of artwork Myth and Masks, available exclusively from our online shop.