Hephaestus is credited with shaping Pandora in Hesiod’s creation story.
In Works and Days, Zeus orders Hephaestus to form Pandora from earth or clay and give her the appearance of a modest young woman. Hephaestus is the divine smith, famous in Greek mythology for crafting weapons, armor, and other remarkable objects for the gods.
Pandora’s creation is collaborative rather than the work of one deity alone. After Hephaestus shapes her, other gods contribute qualities or gifts. Athena teaches her crafts, Aphrodite gives her grace, and Hermes provides speech and a deceptive disposition in Hesiod’s account.
Later artistic representations often make Pandora’s formation look like a direct parallel to the creation of humans from clay. The ancient poem, however, places the scene within Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus’s theft of fire.