Phyllis lived in Thrace. She met Theseus' son, Demophon, when he was returning with the ships from the Trojan War. They lived together for a while, then he asked her to travel to Athens to see his family. He remained waiting for him in Thrace and very often went and waited at the place where he met him. Time passed and she withered year after year, until the gods transformed her into a tree for endurance, an almond tree which is a symbol of hope.

After years, one winter, Demophontas returned to Thrace. She was a dead tree in the middle of a frozen landscape. Out of remorse he embraced her, and she bloomed in the middle of winter but never took her human form again.

Paper synthesis with Asian papers painted with inks, gold foil, woven clothes of paper thread.

Portrait of a Woman from the Samoan Islands of Polynesia, 1890 - 1910, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, New Zealand.