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LOT 0681
Roman Asclepius Gemstone in Gold Ring
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (4.99 grams, 23.32 mm overall, 16.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L 1/2, USA 6, Europe 11.87, Japan 11)).
A carnelian intaglio of Asclepius in a loosely draped himation with serpent coiled around his forearm, probably Asclepius the Greek god of healing; set into a later gold ring.
ProvenanceEx private East Coast, USA, collection.
with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 21 February 2017.
English private collection.
Accompanied by a copy of a certificate of authenticity from Artemis Gallery, dated 21 February 2017.
Asclepius was the Graeco-Roman god of medicine, healing, prophecy and a son of Apollo and Coronis. He had two daughters with Epione, the goddess of soothing- Hygeia (goddess of health) and Panacea (goddess of healing). As a child, Asclepius was given to the centaur Chiron, who raised him in the ways of the healing arts. During his training, Asclepius healed a snake, which in turn granted him secret knowledge. Asclepius became such a proficient healer that he discovered a way to resurrect the dead, for which Zeus had him killed, in order to maintain the balance of life on Earth, placing him on the night sky under the constellation of the Ophiuchus (the snake holder).
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Roman Pottery Jar
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Roman Gold Ring with Cult of Jupiter Dolichenus Bull Gemstone
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,105
A solid, smooth gold ring with D-shaped hoop, oval carnelian intaglio with a bull surmounted by a star; repaired. 4.41 grams, 26.31 mm overall, 18.49 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)
repaired
Acquired 1970-2000s. Ex Abelita family collection.
The bull, symbol of thunder and fertility, was an important component of the cult of Jupiter Dolichenus, to which this ring is probably connected. The god is usually represented as standing on a bull holding an axe in his upraised right hand and a bolt of lightning in the left. This bull perpetuated the connection with storms, a frequent and rather obvious identification of power and ferocity. This was a Hittite concept inherited from the Anatolians and then by the Romans.
