Hera – or Juno in Roman religion – is the wife and sister of Zeus, and is queen of the gods.

Her symbols are the peacock, the cuckoo and the cow – animals she considered sacred – and her chariot is pulled by peacocks instead of horses.

In this gold hat jewel, made in the 16th century, she is shown at the Judgement of Paris (read more on that here and here) accompanied by a blue peacock.

She is the goddess of marriage, childbirth and fertility. Although she is often depicted as reserved and calm, she repeatedly sought revenge for Zeus’ many affairs with mortal and immortal women, punishing them and their offspring.