ROMAN GOLD RING WITH GARNET PORTRAIT INTAGLIO
Ca. 400 AD.
A gold finger ring comprising a round hoop with a slightly carinated profile, expanding shoulders, and a trumpet-shaped bezel set with a garnet intaglio depicting a right-facing profile of possibly God Hermes wearing petasos, a low-brimmed hat worn in ancient Greece. A petasos with wings (along with winged sandals) donated by Zeus became an attribute of Hermes as a messenger of the gods. The item has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements.
Size: D: 16.92mm / US: 6 1/2 / UK: N; 5.2g
Provenance: Property of a private London collector; formerly in Kirby collection, acquired pre 2000.
Estimate: GBP 1000 - 2000