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THBEarly Byzantine 23K+ Gold Double Bezel Ring
Lot 97b
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:
$2,000 - $4,000
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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
Near East/Holy Land, Early Byzantine, ca. 5th to 6th century CE. A gorgeous 23K+ gold ring (comprised of 96.38% gold, equivalent to 23K+) with a double bezel design presenting two pointed ovoid faces, each one adorned with an openwork floral motif flanked by 8 triangular openings - 4 on each side to complete the symmetrical composition. Each bezel is tastefully framed by a granulated border, and the double shank unites to become one behind the finger. A red glass backing behind the cut openwork design motifs imbues the ring with even more beauty. Gold quality: 96.38% gold, equivalent to 23K+. Size: opening measures .75" L x .625" W (1.9 cm x 1.6 cm); double bezel measures .75" W x .625" H (1.9 cm x 1.6 cm); 1.875" H (4.8 cm) on included custom stand; US Ring Size 8. Weight: 8.6 grams.
Interestingly, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian established laws (later called the Justinian Code) that among other things regulated the wearing of jewelry. He stated that sapphires, pearls, and emeralds were reserved for the emperor; however, every free man was actually entitled to wear a gold ring. This suggests widespread popularity of jewelry. After all, such a law would not have been necessary if jewelry had been a strictly aristocratic luxury. Indeed, wealth abounded in the Byzantine Empire. There were gold mines within its borders, and its geographical location was ideal for trade between the East and the West. Individuals including military officers, traders, and high officials reporting to the emperor would all have been able to afford luxurious jewelry like this ring.
Jeffrey Spier's article entitled, "Some Unconventional Early Byzantine Rings" (from "Intelligible Beauty: Recent Research on Byzantine Jewelry" British Museum Research Publication 178, 2010) includes images and discussion of rings with a similar design - one at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (Plate 14) and two others from Museo dell'Alto Medioevo in Rome (Plate 15). Spier writes, "These rings have band hoops, curved inward, and are distinctive for their bezel decorated with two raised, diamond-shaped elements placed side-by-side and outlined in beaded wire filigree, with some additional filigree on the shoulders. This variety, too, reached the West, where typically they had broad bands and were decorated with elaborate filigree and granulation. They are well attested, both in gold and silver, at Lombardic sites, most notably the 6th–7th-century burials at Castel Trosino, near Rome (Pl. 15). A few Merovingian examples, very similar to those from Rome, have been found in Gaul."
Provenance: private Connecticut, USA collection; ex-private Germany collection, 1970s; Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 17 December 2014, lot 251
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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#149793Minor bending and indentations with normal surface wear commensurate with age. Traces of deposits grace the surface as well. Minute crack to edge of lower band (does not go through), but otherwise the form is strong. Old collection label on interior of ring.Condition
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