The Lady Justice statue is usually in the form of a woman who is standing or sitting. She is typically dressed in a toga-like robe, may be barefoot, and her hair is either flowing over her shoulders or braided in a bun or around her head. She holds a balance, or two-tray scale in one hand and a sword in the other; usually the scales are in the left hand and the sword in the right, but this is not always so. Sometimes, she also wears a blindfold over her eyes.
Some of the first images similar to the Lady of Justice date back to the Egyptian goddess Maat, who signified truth and order in that ancient society. Later, the ancient Greeks worshipped the goddess Themis, the personification of divine law and custom, and her daughter, Dike, whose name means “justice.” Dike was always depicted carrying a pair of balance scales, and it was believed that she ruled over human law. The ancient Romans revered Justitia or lustitia, who most closely resembles the Lady of Justice statues formed in more modern times. She represented the morality of the justice system.
