Ouroboros Key Ring

The Ouroboros shows a snake biting its tail as devours itself. In the centre, the snake's heads form a yin-yang sign and as you move outward, the snakes spiral out into a rainbow of colours. The painting employes an intentional optical illusion for as one moves towards and away from the painting, the snakes can give the illusion of moving in and out. The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol, sometimes depicted as a snake, sometimes as a dragon. Depictions of this form can be found in regions all over the world from China and Egypt to even the ancient Americas in Native American and Mayan art. The image is said to some to represent God, the creator and destroyer, the created and the destroyed. Others say it represents the cycles of nature, evolution and de-evolution. The notion of a serpent or dragon eating its own tail can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, circa 1600 BC.