In Greek mythology, Hephaestus shaped Pandora’s body from clay on Zeus’s orders.
Hesiod describes Zeus commanding Hephaestus, the divine smith and craftsman, to form Pandora from earth. The other gods then contribute qualities or adornments, creating a figure designed to appear beautiful and impressive to humans. This construction makes Pandora part of a deliberate divine plan rather than an ordinary human birth.
Hephaestus is especially appropriate for the task because Greek mythology assigns him mastery of metalworking, invention, and the making of extraordinary objects. His role in Pandora’s creation is separate from the later gifts supplied by other gods, including clothing, ornaments, and persuasive qualities.
Modern retellings often say simply that Pandora was “made by the gods,” which is broadly correct but leaves out the division of labor in Hesiod’s account. The myth also resembles other Greek stories in which gods manufacture living beings or wondrous objects, but Pandora is specifically formed from earth before receiving her divine attributes.