Circa 2016Canada The Gryphon's story begins on the steppes of Eurasia, with the ancient Scythian people. At one time, Scythians could find gold nuggets on the surface of the ground or in streams. However, when these sources were exhausted, they traced the elusive metal to the mountains. Scythians began to dig in caves where they found not only gold but also fossilized bones of what we know recognize as the dinosaur Protoceratops. The Scythians surmised that these creatures were winged lions, and the mythical story of gryphons soon spread from Scythia to Greece and beyond.This unique sculpture depicts a mighty Gryphon crouching in tension preparing to jump. Its eyes blaze with precious cat's eye chrysoberyls; its wings shine magnificently with fossilized ammolite, a rare gemstone only found in the Northern wilderness of Canada. The Gryphon has dominion where it stands and is ready for its next conquest. This unique, single edition sculpture is composed of 24K gold plated sterling silvergilded silver, inlaid with custom-cut, gem-quality plaques of the national gemstone of Canada known as ammolite which have the highest color saturation. Ammolite for this piece came from the single official mine in Alberta, Canada. The pieces were custom cut from AAA gem grade material, color matched, and encased in sapphire glass to protect the precious gem. The removable pedestal composed of oxidized bronze, bearing a monogram signature for Volund. Measuring 8 1/2 x 8 x 3 1/2 in