In Greek mythology, Hephaestus shaped Pandora’s body from clay.
Hesiod describes Pandora as a woman fashioned at Zeus’s command after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. Hephaestus, the divine smith, formed her from earth or clay, giving the creation a physical body before other gods supplied additional gifts.
The myth is not a single fixed story in every ancient source. Hesiod’s Works and Days presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s punishment of humankind, while later retellings add details or change the emphasis. The name Pandora means “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the gifts bestowed on her by the gods.
This detail is often confused with the separate gifts themselves. Hephaestus made Pandora, but other deities supplied attributes such as clothing, adornment, persuasion, and musical ability.