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THB21K Gold Swivel Ring w/ Roman Gnostic Gem, Hematite
Lot 45a
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$4,000 - $6,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Sep 26, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-09-26 10:00:00
2019-09-26 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities & Asian Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-day-1-antiquities-asian-art-4437
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional, museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern, as well as Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional, museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern, as well as Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and India. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (328)
- Lot Description
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A truly fascinating ovoid hematite Gnostic gem, also known as a magical gem, an intaglio bearing spells. The stone is a dark, almost black brown, with a silvery sheen in direct light. On both sides are cryptic incised motifs, some anthropomorphic, others drawn from Greek and Semitic alphabets changed to create more occult meaning. This intaglio is held in a modern band of 21K gold which is suspended on a broad gold half-circle by two gold pins, allowing it to swivel from side to side. Size: 1.25" W x 1.2" H (3.2 cm x 3 cm); gold is 21K; total weight is 5 grams
Romans who believed in Gnosticism, a religious and philosophical ideology popular from the 1st to the 3rd century CE, often carried magical gems like this one. They bore inscriptions: Voces magicae, or the names of the gods, as well as prayers. Gnostics believed in the great power of words, but also that to reach the gods, they had to transcend ordinary language. Unfortunately, little is known about the Gnostics as much of what they left behind was destroyed as heresy when Rome converted to Christianity.
To learn more about Gnostic gems, see The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture, No. 13 (1/2015): "Elements of Gnostic Concepts in Depictions on Magical Gems" by Graznya Bakowska-Czerner.
Provenance: ex-private California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#148864Intaglio has light wear commensurate with age, but the motifs on both of its faces are very clear and easy to discern. Gold is modern.Condition
- Shipping Info
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