Peace bringing back Prosperity, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1780
Allegorical depiction of the Roman goddess Abundantia with a cornucopia, by Rubens (ca. 1630)
A depiction of a woman looking sideways, crowned with wheat branches and holding a horn overflowing with coins, engraved on small rectangular gold bars. This was a gift given to me on a special occasion by relatives, and as a child, I was mesmerized by the image. Who was this woman? What was the significance of the beautiful horn she held? Why was this scene engraved on a gold plate?
It was a curious gift for a child—something I couldn’t play with, eat, or use. I could only look at it, admire it, and try to decipher the intriguing symbolism it held.
Years later, the mystery was solved through my reading of Ovid. In his version of the myth, Zeus’ mother, Rhea, entrusted her son to the care of a nymph to protect him from the jealousy of Cronos. Amalthea, a sacred goat, fed the young god milk from one of her broken horns, which she filled with herbs and fruits. This magical nourishment made Zeus immortal. And so, the myth of the horn of abundance, or Cornucopia in Latin, was born. Cornucopia became the emblem of many deities, particularly those connected with harvest, prosperity, and spiritual wealth.
I rushed back to my jewelry box, filled with the victorious thrill of solving one of the mysteries of my childhood. The woman engraved on the small gold plate in my hand was Amalthea, holding the horn of plenty.
This piece of gold became a kind of treasure, stamped with divine symbolism, meant to offer comfort in hard times. The Horn of Plenty – Cornucopia in Latin (Cornu: horn, Copia: abundance) – overflows with food and flowers, symbolizing prosperity and abundance for whoever possesses it.
The imagery of the Horn of Plenty was pervasive in classical antiquity, appearing on tapestries, everyday objects, and as a recurring theme for artists and painters of that time.
Gold bar stamped with Cornucopia
Cornucopia Collection 2024-2025 at Zenobie
As autumn approaches and the seasons shift, we’re excited to launch our new collection of stationery and lifestyle products, inspired by the imagery of Cornucopia. We’ve reinterpreted these timeless symbols in our own way and scattered them into our diverse range of products.
Our designs, foiled in metallic gold, yellow, rose, and electric blue, embellishes everything from checklists and notebooks to wrapping paper, T-shirts, and our signature 2025 diary. Soon, they will extend to crockery and homeware as well.
Cornucopia, Zenobie, 2024
Cornucopia Diary 2025, Zenobie
Cornucopia Printed White T-shirt, Zenobie
Cornucopia Wrapping Paper, Zenobie
At the end of the day, we’re offering you the gift of holding a golden Cornucopia in your hands too, wishing that the age-old prophecy comes true: that whoever holds a Cornucopia is blessed with abundance, both material and spiritual—the most opulent gifts life has to offer.
This dépêche is written by Zeina from Zenobie