Ancient Roman Gilt-Bronze Ring with Carnelian Intaglio

£ 750.00

An ancient Roman gilt bronze finger ring, formed into a wide-set oval shape. The ring features slightly expanding shoulders and an oval bezel set with a carnelian intaglio. The very fine intaglio depicts the profile of a young male. The man is depicted facing right, has short hair and is clean-shaven, as was the fashion in Rome. The small size of the ring can be explained by the widespread practice of wearing rings, not only on all the fingers of both hands, but also on the knuckles.

Closest UK ring size: G 1/2.

Date: Circa 1st-2nd Century AD
Condition: Fine condition. The surface of the ring is covered with patination and traces of gilding.

SOLD

SKU: SK-86 Category: Tags: , , ,

The ancient Romans enjoyed wearing jewellery, especially rings, as a way to demonstrate their wealth and social status in Roman society. Rings could have been modelled in gold, silver or bronze, and enriched by precious and semi-precious stones, or even glass. The extremely sophisticated technique of engraving of gemstones, known as intaglio, was one of the most luxurious art forms in the Ancient World. Iconographies might have been driven by mythology, literature, theatre or simply everyday life.

To discover more on the use of intaglios, please visit our blog post: Engraved Gemstones in Ancient Rome

Weight 4.79 g
Dimensions L 1.9 x W 2.3 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Semi-Precious Stones

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