CSS z-index paradox flower

Question

I would like to create a paradoxical effect via the z-index CSS property.

In my code I have five circles, like in the image below, and they are all absolute

Answer 1

JS Fiddle LIVE DEMO

Works on IE8 too.

HTML

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CSS

.item {
    width: 50px;
    height: 50px;
    line-height: 50px;
    border: 1px solid red;
    background: silver;
    border-radius: 50%;
    text-align: center;
}
.half {
    position: absolute;
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 52px;
    height: 26px;
    line-height: 52px;
    text-align: center;
}
.half.under {
    top: 30px; 
    left: 0px;
    z-index: -1;
    border-radius: 90px 90px 0 0;
}
.half.above {
    top: 55px;
    left: 0px;
    z-index: 1;
    border-radius: 0 0 90px 90px;
}
.half.above .i1 { margin-top:-50%; }
.i2 { position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 35px;}
.i3 { position: absolute; top: 30px; left: 65px;}
.i4 { position: absolute; top: 70px; left: 50px; }
.i5 { position: absolute; top: 70px; left: 15px; }