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LOT 0097
Roman Gold Ring with Bust of a Lady
LATE 2ND CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (6.15 grams, 18.78 mm overall, 16.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K 1/2, USA 5 1/2, Europe 10.58, Japan 10)).
Composed of a broad, flat-section hoop and a rectangular bezel displaying a high-relief bust of a lady in profile right.
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1970s.
From a deceased lady’s estate, by descent.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.202900.
Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 313; for similar Isis iconography on a ring see Schmidtová, J., Daňová, M., Šefčáková, A., 'New finds of roman rings from a rich grave in Cemetery III, Rusovce‑Gerulata,' in Studia Hercynia, XX/1, pp.83-99, pl.5/7.
FootnotesIn 2014, a grave of a woman was discovered in Gerulata cemetery III, containing an unusual number of rings. The buried woman, aged 40-49, had two rings on each hand, one of which was a signet ring with a gem depicting the Egyptian deities Serapis and Isis, whose hairstyle and profile are identical to the present ring. Although, the bust of Isis is opposed to Serapis in the rings, the cult of the goddess was widespread inside the provinces already in the 1st century A.D.
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Roman Ceramic Military Cremation Face Urn
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £455
For the deposition of ashes (absent), with bulbous body, everted rim and discoid foot, a stylised human face to the upper body expressed with three circular holes for the eyes and mouth, pinched nose in high-relief and raised eyebrows; repaired. 5.13 kg, 34 cm wide
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
Cremation was the usual burial practice in early Roman Britain and whilst it was common for larger ceramic or glass domestic vessels to be reused as cinerary urns, this particular type was created specifically for the purpose and was strongly associated with military contexts in Britain. After death, an individual would have been cremated on a pyre, the ashes gathered once the fire had gone out, and finally placed into the pot. The pot may then have been placed into a small 'tile tomb' buried beneath the ground. The face clearly has symbolic meaning; it may represent the deceased or a god, or may have served an apotropaic function, intended to ward-off evil spirits. The exact meaning of the face would have been clearer when the vessel was in situ alongside other associated burial goods. Although there are similarities in style across the known sample of Roman face pots, each is unique in some way. Face pot finds are concentrated in Colchester in Britain, suggesting a military association, since Camulodunum, 'The 'Fortress of the War God Camulos', was the capital of Roman Britain and Britain's first city. A more robust military connection was established by the archaeologist Gillian Braithwaite, whose survey of thousands of face pot sherds demonstrated that their occurrence spread rapidly though the Roman Empire, from the Black Sea, to Spain, the Mediterranean and Scotland. Braithwaite was able to link the pots to the Roman army and thus explain this phenomenon; as the units moved from province to province, face pots occurred in that region for the first time. The frequency of complete face pots suggests their use as cremation urns. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Bird
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Discoid bezel with incuse peacock motif. 1.94 grams, 19.42 mm overall, 17.48 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)
Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman. -
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Roman Gold Ring with Carnelian Cameo of Eros
Early 3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £480
Composed of a convex hoop with expanding angled shoulders, oval bezel set with carnelian cameo gemstone carved with the head and face of Eros with pinched features and centrally-parted hair; a marriage. 7.09 grams, 21.79 mm overall, 17.87 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H 1/2, USA 4, Europe 6.81, Japan 6)
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
This ring belongs to the typology of gold rings with gem (Type II, Variant I) of Ruseva-Slokoska classification.
