A sheet-gold ring with narrow hoop and pointed oval bezel, the bezel curved to provide a shield-like ridged form.

PROVENANCE:
By repute from the private collection of Joan Evans (1893-1977), a British historian of French and English medieval art and jewellery, the majority of her collection was bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Acquired from Phillips Son & Neal, London, UK, in the 1970s.
Property of an Edinburgh lady.
Accompanied by a letter and four page report no.94506 by Independent Art Research Ltd & The Cambridge Centre for Precious Metal Research, both signed by Dr Jack M. Ogden, and dated 25 and 7 November 1994 respectively.
Accompanied by an archaeological expertise by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.11111-182923.

LITERATURE:
See Schuchhardt, C., Schliemann’s Ausgrabungen in Troja, Tiryns, Mykene, Orchomenos, Sphata, Leipzig, 1890; Evans, Sir A., The Mycenaean Tree and Pillar Cut and its Mediterranean relationships, London, 1901; Evans, Sir A., The Palace of Knossos, London, 1921; Mellersh, H.E.L., Minoan Crete, New York, 1967; Marshall, F. M., Catalogue of the Finger Rings Greek, Etruscan and Roman in the Departments of Antiquities of the British Museum, London, 1968; Boardman, J., Greek gems and finger rings, London, 2001; Nakassis, D., Gulizio, J., James, S.A., Ke-Ra-Me-Ja, studies presented to Cynthia W. Shelmerdine, Philadelphia, 2014.

FOOTNOTES:
This simple bezel form had a long life in the Aegean world, first found in Minoan times and continuing through to the end of the Mycenaean period.