1991.75.69, Ring with intaglio, Greece, late 3rd century B.C.E., gilded bronze, garnet

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Rings made from sheet gold or gold wire occur in Greek graves dating to the 10th century BCE, and there is consistant evidence that simple gold bands were worn as rings in the following centuries. As a result of Egyptian or Phoenician influence, more elaborate forms slowly became popular beginning in the 6th century BCE. The 3rd to 1st centuries BCE saw an abundance of rings and a large variety in shape and style.

This gilded ring has extended shoulders and a flat oval bezel. The large garnet intaglio is engraved with a representation of Aphrodite. The goddess is shown from the front, standing slightly turned to the right. Her left arm is raised and holds the end of a cloak, which drapes around her right leg. Her right arm rests on the shoulder of a slender, winged Eros, turned to the left. The goddess wears a necklace and bracelets.

Many Hellenistic rings are set with an engraved gem and are generally considered to be signet rings, although a purely decorative function cannot be excluded. Pieces like this gilt bronze right, with its elongated figures of the goddess Aphrodite and a youthful Eros, illustrate the manneristic style favored by gem engravers of the 3rd century BCE.

Adapted from

Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 66; 140.

NOTES

updated provenance and geo x ref in TMS
added publication as a text entry in TMS

Catalogue essays

Greek Jewelry

Gold in the Ancient Mediterranean

Ancient Gold Jewelry: The Spread of Imagery

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography

Process/materials

Greek Gold

Stones and Beads in the Ancient Mediterranean

Granulation

Soldering

Plain and Decorative Wire

Historical periods

Aegean and Greek Chronology

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS

PROVENANCE

Until 1989: probably Collection of Dr. Athos Moretti, Switzerland [1]

1989-1991: Collection of Robert Haber, New York, New York [2]

From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

[1] based on existing provenance entry in TMS

[2] See printed email exchange between Andrew Oliver and Anne Bromberg, dated August 3, 2012, found in Collections Record Object file 1991.75.53

AUDIO ASSETS

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES

Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.69

General Description

Rings made from sheet gold or gold wire occur in Greek graves dating to the 10th century BCE, and there is consistant evidence that simple gold bands were worn as rings in the following centuries. As a result of Egyptian or Phoenician influence, more elaborate forms slowly became popular beginning in the 6th century BCE. The 3rd to 1st centuries BCE saw an abundance of rings and a large variety in shape and style.

This gilded ring has extended shoulders and a flat oval bezel. The large garnet intaglio is engraved with a representation of Aphrodite. The goddess is shown from the front, standing slightly turned to the right. Her left arm is raised and holds the end of a cloak, which drapes around her right leg. Her right arm rests on the shoulder of a slender, winged Eros, turned to the left. The goddess wears a necklace and bracelets.

Many Hellenistic rings are set with an engraved gem and are generally considered to be signet rings, although a purely decorative function cannot be excluded. Pieces like this gilt bronze right, with its elongated figures of the goddess Aphrodite and a youthful Eros, illustrate the manneristic style favored by gem engravers of the 3rd century BCE.

Adapted from

Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 66; 140.

Fun Facts

Archival Resources

Web Resources

Notes