Persephone Cards / Set of 6

Of the symbols of the autumn equinox, the pomegranate is one of the most evocative. It draws its association from the myth of Hades and Persephone, a divisive and layered tale of ancient Greek marital customs and seasonality. The pomegranate plays a central role in this story as the object through which Persephone is bound to the Underworld, but its ancient symbolism is much broader.

The origin of the pomegranate tree in Greek mythology is linked to transformation and rebirth, and it also took on a sinister cast, its ruby juice associated with blood in the legends of Adonis, Eteocles, and Menœceus. It was most often associated with fecundity and marriage, being one of Hera's sacred symbols, and pomegranates feature in ancient Athenian marriage rites. Whether this act was a reflection of the myth or a common social practice remains unclear, but the archeological record shows the pomegranate paradoxically symbolized both marriage and fertility as well as death and the dead.

Source print: Melagrana, by botanist Giorgio Gallesio, from Pomona Italiana. Gallesio's fruit experiments were later quoted by Charles Darwin.

• A7, 5" x 7" flat cards
• Set of six with six cobalt envelopes, square flap
• Four-color process printing
• Cream white, uncoated 120 C paper
• Made in the USA

About Open Sea

Open Sea is a women-owned creative studio based in Brooklyn, founded in 2015 by Melissa Constandse. Originally inspired by the crystal-clear blue shores of the Mexican Caribbean, the studio's stationery and paper goods draw on the occult, the Victorian era, esoteric traditions, naturalist art, and the treasures of the plant and animal kingdom. Each piece is designed with intention, as a tribute to long-lost traditions and the beauty of the natural world. Every card is designed and printed in New York.