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Roman Carnelian Intaglio of a Warrior and Horse in a Later Gold Ring
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D. and laterEstimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
Engraved with a standing male figure wearing a pointed cap and holding a long upright spear beside a horse, the horse with its head turned back and one foreleg raised; both figures standing upon a ground line; set in a later gold ring with a plain oval bezel, divided shoulders and a slender hoop. 2.43 grams, 20.04 mm overall, 17.19 x 16.57 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)
Acquired on the European art market. UK, private collection.
The combination of the cap, spear, drapery and horse supports identification as one of the Dioscuri, Castor or Pollux. The same combination of attributes appears in Roman representations of a Dioscurus, including an example in the London Museum.