LATE ROMAN BRONZE RING WITH PENTAGRAM

Ca. 400-500 AD
A bronze ring boasting a broad, flat-sectioned hoop with pairs of incised crosses on its shoulders. The hoop expands to form a bezel that is meticulously adorned with a pentagram and surrounded by sets of dots. In the ancient world, rings held a special significance beyond their function as mere adornments. They were often used to convey messages of power, status, and allegiance. Symbolic rings like this one served as talismans imbued with hidden meanings, decipherable only to those with the knowledge and insight to comprehend them. The pentagram is a particularly powerful and enduring symbol, even to this day. In ancient times, it was regarded as a symbol of mystical significance, representing the union of the divine and the earthly realms. In the context of Roman beliefs, the pentagram was associated with the five elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit, and was believed to possess protective and transformative powers.
Size: D: 17.73mm / US: 7 1/2 / UK: O 1/2; 4.56g
Provenance: Private London collector, acquired on the Austrian Art market, formerly in an old USA collection formed since the 1970s.
Estimate: GBP 200 - 300