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Roman finger ring with imitated agate

Price: on request
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Object number
AR2643
Object: Roman finger ring set with an imitated agate

Material: Ring made of gold plated bronze. The imitated agate made of polished glass paste in red, white and black.

Period: Late Roman Imperial period,
3rd cent. AD.

Description:    Massive finger ring made of bronze with rich decorations. The band has the shape of an oval on the inner side, but has defining edges on the outer side. The front part consists of an oval plate set with a belonging imitated agate from Roman times. The glass imitating the stone has three or four layers in red, white and black. It is shaped like a truncated cone.
This type of ring belongs to a category popular in the 2nd to 4th cent. AD accross the Roman empire. Thanks to multiple well-documented reference pieces this specific type can be attributed to the 3rd cent. AD.

Dimensions: 34mm x 27mm inside, 21mm x 18mm outside. Approx. 14mm x 11mm agate style glass.

Condition: Approx. 10mm long piece of he hoop is missing and replaced. Stable cracks accross the glass gem. The rest of the ring in very good condition. Much of the original gilding remained. Extremely nice overall impression.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2018 on the british art market. Previously in the british private collection of David Hill. Acquired by him in 2016 from the US american Medusa Ancient Art gallery (incl. copy of the invoice and certificate of authenticity). Previously in the well-known Content family collection. Acquired in the 1960ies or 1970ies.

References: Cf. L. Ruseva-Slokoska, Roman Jewellery, page 195, cat.no. 257.
Similar G. Zahlhaas, Fingerringe und Gemmen, Sammlung Dr. E. Pressmar, page 49, no. 62.
About the Content family collection:
M. Henig, The Content Family Collection of Ancient Cameos (Ashmolean Museum, 1990).

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.