Gifts for Classicists: Under £25
Need to buy a gift for the Classicist in your life? Here’s a round-up of some of my handmade jewellery and Christmas ornaments inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome, all priced under £25.
And I’ve included a selection of prints, accessories, candles, and books from my Classics-inspired friends and other small businesses - all products that I’ve either bought (and loved) myself or have had on my own wishlist all year. Enjoy!
Iliad Book Cover Ornament (£18.50)
A supersized version of my Iliad jewellery design, this decoration designed to look like the cover of Homer’s Iliad would make the perfect adornment for any bibliophile’s Christmas tree this year.
Made from shiny red mirrored acrylic to evoke the themes of anger, blood, and war that are so central to the story of the Iliad. With pearlescent acrylic to mimic the pages of a book and a bookmark made from marble red acrylic.
This ornament is tied with a green velvet ribbon, ready for hanging from your tree.
Limited edition of 23 pieces.
Handmade in Scotland as part of the Plato’s Fire Ancient Epics collection.
Take a look at our Gifts Under £25 or Gifts for Bibliophiles!
Adorn your Christmas tree with Classics-inspired merch (or hang it on your bookshelf to admire all year round) - I’ve got ornaments inspired by vintage book covers, decorations in Latin and Greek, and supersized Greek vases to hang wherever you please!
Minoan Fish Hoop Earrings (£19.60)
Playful fish shaped hoop earrings handmade from shiny mirrored gold and marble turquoise or marble red acrylic.
Inspired by the underwater motifs found on the colourful Minoan frescoes of ancient Crete.
Lightweight and suitable for everyday wear.
FEATURES:
Fish measure 11mm x 36mm
Engraved gold mirror/marble turquoise/marble red acrylic + FSC-approved birch plywood
15mm gold filled hoops
Handmade in Scotland as part of Plato’s Fire’s Minoan Marine collection, inspired by the frescoes and pottery of the Minoan civilisation.
GIFTING:
These fish hoops are the perfect gift for classicists and art historians. We can send directly to the recipient with a gift message from you: simply email the details and your order number to natasha@platosfire.co.uk.
Looking to buy a gift, but still not sure? Take a look at our gifts under £50, or our gift vouchers.
These sweet little fish earrings - available in red or turquoise - are inspired by the marine frescoes from Minoan Crete. If octopuses or dolphins are more your style, I have those too!
Greek Meander Hoop Earrings (£24)
These playful long meander hoop earrings take their shape from the famous meander patterns found on ancient Greek vases and architecture, and their colour from Grecian landscapes and sunsets.
Lightweight and perfect for everyday wear.
perspex acrylic (gloss leaf green; gloss avocado green; pearlescent pearl; gold shimmer; mirror rose gold; marble tortoiseshell)
15mm gold filled hoops
each long meander measures 25mm x 60mm
Handmade in Scotland as part of our Greek Ornament Collection, inspired by decorative motifs found in ancient Greek art.
The meander (or ‘Greek key’) is an iconic decorative motif found all over Ancient Greek art and architecture. I find it makes for a pretty cool pair of earrings, too!
Odyssey Book Cover Brooch (£24)
This playful brooch/pin is inspired by my favourite ancient text, Homer’s Odyssey. The shape and design is drawn from the front covers of my favourite dusty old books, and the colour was chosen because of the sea that plays such an important part in Odysseus’s journey.
The perfect way to display your fondness for Homer!
perspex acrylic (royal blue mirror + gold mirror + pearl + red marble) + FSC-certified birch plywood
silver plated tie pin + silver plated clutch
book cover = 28mm x 50mm
Handmade in Scotland as part of our Ancient Epic Collection, inspired by iconic Greek and Roman epic poetry and the visuals of old books.
Wear your love for your favourite work of epic literature on your sleeve (or anywhere slightly more practical) with one of my book cover brooches - Iliad, Aeneid, and Metamorphoses editions are also available.
Oinochoe Hoop Earrings (£24)
Simple oinochoe shaped hoop earrings in shiny mirrored silver etched with meander detail.
Lightweight and perfect for everyday wear.
Silver mirrored acrylic and FSC-approved birch plywood
15mm sterling silver earring hoops
Oinochoe: 19mm x 35mm
Handmade in Scotland as part of our Greek Vase Collection, inspired by motifs from Ancient Greek pottery.
These oinochoe hoops are one of my first designs, and they’re still one of my favourites! Wear these dainty hoop earrings and be ready for a symposium at the drop of a hat (or wine jug).
Flaroh 2023 Calendar (£16.50)
Does anything say ‘Christmas gift’ more than a calendar? I got one of Flaroh’s mythology calendars last year and it’s been such a joy to see which of her iconic illustrations will be there to greet me each month! Pro tip - you can tear off each month’s illustration and frame it as a print!
Greek Myth Comix Colouring Book (£12)
The only thing better than Greek Myths Comix is Greek Myths Comix you can colour in!! I don’t think I’m the only one who loves a cosy Betwixtmas colouring-in session, with felt tips in one hand and a glass of eggnog in t’other - and this mythological colouring book basically counts as studying, with fun facts included on every page.
Scents of Elysium Candle (£20)
The coolest thing about Scents of Elysium candles is not only that they smell amazing but also that they only use scents that would have been available in Ancient Greece! One of my favourite things to do is light a mythology-inspired candle and curl up with a good book - Psyche’s Serenade (formerly known as Psychi) is my all-time favourite.
Agameganon Ionic Column Jewellery (£17-22)
If there’s anything more iconic than the Ionic column it’s Meg’s Ionic column jewellery! Buy it in gold, buy it in silver, buy the entire set - plus you can feel all warm inside knowing that your purchase is going towards supporting Meg through their PhD <3
Classics For Plebs Athena Pin (£8.50)
Attica is the SWEETEST and her illustrations are just as lovely! I have one of these Athena badges skewered into my pin board and I like to think she grants me a bit of wisdom as she looks down on me. (More likely she just rolls her eyes and wills me to stop being such an idiot.)
Fran Haslam Apollo Print (£15)
I could stare at Fran’s beautiful illustrations for days - in fact, sometimes I do! I have Apollo and Artemis hanging side by side in my studio, but she has illos of the Olympians and other scenes from Greek and other mythologies for you to choose from. Plus handy bundles of multiple prints for those of us who cannot choose just one!
Aster and Selene Runners Amphora Print (£25)
Aster and Selene’s illustrations of genuine ancient artefacts ought to be sold in every museum shop in the world. They’re so detailed and so vibrant and I just love this Runners Amphora, based on an amphora given as a prize at the Athenian Panathenaic Games.
Sadboi Illustration Flight and Fall of Icarus Print ($12)
Sadboi’s stunningly detailed mythological illustrations have been on my radar for a while now, and the only reason I haven’t purchased on yet is because I haven’t been able to decide which one to go for. This Icarus print might just change that - I can’t stop looking at it!
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (from Typewronger Books) (£9)
I recently read Elodie’s entire trilogy in ten days because I really struggled to put it down. If you’re looking for an ancient world-inspired book that isn’t another myth retelling, this is for you: set in Pompeii, it follows the life of Amara as she struggles to pull herself out of enslavement and prostitution. There’s a focus on female friendship which I adore, and Amara is the kind of deliciously complicated female lead that I seem to struggle to find! Purchase from an indie bookshop if you can - Typewronger in Edinburgh is owned by a Classicist and one of my favourite haunts <3
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (from Lighthouse) (£10)
More a reimagining than a retelling, Home Fire takes the essence of Sophocles’ Antigone and transplants its themes and characters to modern-day London. Antigone’s battle for the dignity of her brother’s burial comes Aneeka’s fight for the repatriation of her brother’s body. Purchase from an indie bookshop if you can - Lighthouse in Edinburgh is a forerunner for diverse and intersectional books.
Euripides’ Medea by Robin Robertson (from Argonaut Books) (£8)
I recently bought this translation of Medea when I couldn’t find my Big Book of Greek Plays and I absolutely adored it. It’s fast-paced, extremely readable, and high on both drama and insults. What’s more festive than a woman finally losing it at her useless husband and escaping on a dragon-drawn chariot? Purchase from an indie bookshop if you can - I’m only mildly irritated that the wonderful Argonaut Books opened around the corner from my flat in Leith after I’d moved out.
Euripides’ Trojan Women by Anne Carson (from Toppings) (£11)
There is very little that will stop me from buying an Anne Carson translation but an Anne Carson translation of one of my favourite Euripides plays that is also a comic book? Sign me up! Purchase from an indie bookshop if you can - Toppings has shops in St Andrews, Edinburgh, Bath, and Ely and put on excellent Q&As and talks with authors, too!
