Thetis is not usually portrayed in armour, and was recognised by the Greeks more for her beauty and kindliness. She was forced by Zeus to marry a mortal, Peleus, and she bore him a son, Achilles. Thetis attempted to render Achilles immortal by dipping him into the River Styx, but omitted his heel. Having discovered his mortality, she tried to avert his fate, by aiding him on the battlefield at Troy.
This bronze portrays her preparations, before joining the fray.