I gilded a murex brandaris shell with gold leaf as a study ornament. The shell links the first Stoic with the last Stoic of antiquity.

The dye extracted from these sea snails is the Tyrian purple used for the cloaks of the most powerful and rich people in antiquity. This is owing to the large number of snails needed for the dye. It is reported that Zeno of Citium was transporting a shipment of the dye when his ship wrecked and he wound up in Athens where he was introduced to the cynic philosopher Crates. Zeno went on to found his own school, Stoicism.

Ironically, the loss of this extremely valuable shipment led Zeno to the notion that all material goods are not truly valuable - they are “indifferent”.

The gold points to the “last” notable Stoic of antiquity, Marcus Aurelius. The name Aurelius is linked to gold through the latin root aureus, meaning “gilded” or “golden", in turn deriving from aurum (gold).

The shell is a poignant reminder of Stoicism, not only because of its associations with Zeno and the Tyrian purple that Marcus himself would have worn on ceremonious occasions (which he famously disdained as “shellfish blood” in the Meditations), but also because of the Stoic concept of oikeiôsis (affinity) which pertains to the home and what belongs to you, through its root oikos (household). The shell is a home, of sorts, that the snail carries with them.

This particular shell is a large specimen - two and a half inches - with a beautiful spiral (see the pic). I’m going to send it to a paid subscriber randomly selected on July 1st.