Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A striking gold ring comprised of 95% gold (equivalent to 22K+) with a carnelian intaglio depicting the profiled head of Helios wearing his spiked headdress and facing right. The Roman god Sol (Greek Helios) was believed to ride a golden chariot that carried the sun across the skies every day from East to West. In addition to appearing on beautiful painted vases riding his golden chariot in the background of imagery narrating the Hercules (Herakles) story, gracing the faces of coins of Rhodes - his patron city, as well as the east pediment of the Parthenon where he emerges from the ocean in his chariot, Helios is perhaps most famously the subject of the Colossus of Rhodes, a monumental bronze statue regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Size: intaglio measures .5" L x .375" W (1.3 cm x 1 cm); opening measures .625" L x .875" W (1.6 cm x 2.2 cm); US ring size 5; total weight: 8.5 grams.
The Roman god Sol (Greek Helios) was believed to ride a golden chariot that carried the sun across the skies every day from East to West. In addition to appearing on beautiful painted vases riding his golden chariot in the background of imagery narrating the Hercules (Herakles) story, gracing the faces of coins of Rhodes - his patron city, as well as the east pediment of the Parthenon where he emerges from the ocean in his chariot, Helios is perhaps most famously the subject of the Colossus of Rhodes, a monumental bronze statue regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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#142071
Condition
The intaglio imagery is very strong. Normal surface wear and minor bending to the gold shank and bezel with some trace deposits on interior of shank.