Details

LOT 0005

Egyptian Glass Ring with Hathor Cameo

PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY B.C.

1 1/2 in. (17.65 grams, 39.43 mm overall, 20.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)).

Pale green transparent glass hoop with ellipsoid bezel, bevelled edge inlaid with a darker glass low-relief facing mask of the goddess Hathor with cow's ears and banded hairstyle.

Provenance

Acquired between 1965-2020.
Private collection, London.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12484-229828.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Literature

Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, items 16 & 24, for type.

Footnotes

Images of Hathor with a human face and cow ears combine her human and bovine aspects. She is shown with a serene human face, symbolising her nurturing nature, while the cow ears emphasise her roles in fertility and motherhood.
Hathor was one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt, revered as the goddess of love, beauty, music, dance, fertility, and motherhood. She was also associated with joy, childbirth, and women’s health. Hathor was believed to protect and nurture, often depicted as a maternal figure. As such, she was closely linked with Isis. She was closely linked to the sun god Ra, acting as a cosmic force facilitating life. In funerary contexts, Hathor was also seen as a guide for the dead, helping them transition to the afterlife. Her multifaceted role made her one of Egypt's most widely worshipped goddesses.