Ancient Roman Engraved Intaglio Lion Ring AD100 Size 7 Start Price USD 249.99 Current Price USD 249.99 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, November 13, 2008 End Time Saturday, December 13, 2008 Location Lummi Island See more about 'Ancient Roman Engraved Intaglio Lion Ring AD100 Size 7' Description Your browser does not support JavaScript. To view this page, enable JavaScript if it is disabled or upgrade your browser. Click here to see almost 800 archaeology/ancient history books and 500 authentic ancient artifacts on our eBay store! Size 7 1/2 Genuine Ancient Engraved Roman Bronze Ring 1st Century A.D. CLASSIFICATION: Ancient Roman Bronze Ring with Engraved Intaglio Bezel. ATTRIBUTION: Eastern Roman Empire (Thracia), 1st Century A.D. SIZE/MEASUREMENTS: Fits ring size 7 1/2 (U.S.) Bezel: 6mm (round) * 3mm (thickness). Fixed Width 2mm Band. Diameter: 21mm*20mm (outer diameter); 18mm (inner diameter). Weight: 1.37 grams. CONDITION: Superb! Completely intact. Very light wear consistent with occasional use. Very little porosity (surface pitting caused by contact with earth while buried). Professionally conserved. DETAIL: An exceptionally well preserved bronze intaglio ring circa 1st century A.D. bearing remarkable workmanship and demonstrating the technique of reverse intaglio carving. There are several photo enlargements of the intaglio bezel below, and you can see the technique used in this remarkable and ancient art form. An intaglio ring was used to press the wearer's "seal" into lead, clay, or wax, leaving an impression created by the ring's bezel. Though oftentimes the carved intaglio seal might be in the form of a gemstone such as carnelian, carved and then mounted onto a ring; frequently the intaglio seal was created by simply carving into a metal bezel – such as is the case here. Rather than in relief, the image was created recessed, and everything had to be carved in mirror image so that when a piece of clay or wax was impressed with the seal, the image would be “right side out”. The recessed engraving here of a lion is a remarkable illustration of the technique. As you can see, several holes are drilled into the material (whether it be gemstone or metal) to provide a starting point for the engravers tools. The carving here is neat and proficient, though it is not a “masterpiece” in miniature. Though very nice, the carving is a little clumsy when compared to some of the true museum quality intaglios which can be found, for example, in The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Nonetheless the workmanship is very intricate, above average in quality, and the detail is sharp and well preserved. The ring evidence very little wear – it appears as if it were used occasionally for sealing purposes but not worn extensively…or at least for many years. The indications of wear are very slight. As you can see, the ring is very basic in design, though quite handsome and durable. The band though quite ordinary and simple is well preserved and entirely intact. The artifact exhibits very little porosity, which is fine surface pitting caused by prolonged burial in caustic soil. In hand, when worn, it is almost impossible to detect any porosity. Under a jeweler’s loop (or in these photo enlargements) it is possible to make out a little porosity, the unmistakable evidence of spending millennia buried in soil. But in hand the appearance is entirely satisfactory, and the surface of the metal in good condition. The periphery of the intaglio seal bears little chop mark notched embellishments which almost give the intaglio seal a “coke bottle top” appearance – a not uncommon flourish to such bronze intaglio rings of the era. The condition of the ring is…well…pristine. There is very little wear to the ring, almost as if it was used occasionally and then put away…eventually lost. And you have to look very closely to see any of the telltale signs indicating the ring was buried for millennia. Most small artifacts such as this suffer extensive degradation from porosity caused by prolonged burial in caustic soil. This ring spent almost two thousand years buried, yet by good fortune there is virtually no porosity of any significance – it happened to be in very gentle soil conditions. This is an exceptional piece of Roman jewelry, a very handsome artifact, eminently wearable, and even under a jeweler's loop or magnifying glass, there is little discernable degradation due to corrosion, oxidation, porosity, except for light wear consistent with occasional usage. It is a quite remarkable artifact. The ring was originally constructed in two pieces, band and bezel, which were then joined together by the artisan making the ring. It is the archaic and classic construction style utilized in the manufacture of ancient rings. The result is a ring which possesses classic and timeless styling. The ring has a very nice patina, a very light tone giving the appearance of ancient gold. The ring is quite sturdy and substantial, its integrity is undiminished by the passage of time, and it has been professionally conserved. There are no cracks, chips, or other impairments to its integrity. The Romans were of course very fond of ornate personal jewelry including bracelets worn both on the forearm and upper arm, brooches, pendants, hair pins, earrings intricate fibulae and belt buckles, and of course, rings. This is an exceptional piece of ancient jewelry representing the ancient art form of intaglio seals. It will bring a new owner many decades of enjoyment, and could be worn and enjoyed on a daily basis. HISTORY: One of the greatest civilizations of recorded history was the ancient Roman Empire. In exchange for a very modest amount of contemporary currency, you can possess a small part of that great civilization in the form of a 2,000 year old piece of jewelry. The Roman civilization, in relative terms the greatest military power in the history of the world, was founded in the 8th century (B.C.). In the 4th Century (B.C.) the Romans were the dominant power on the Italian Peninsula, having defeated the Etruscans and Celts. In the 3rd Century (B.C.) the Romans conquered Sicily, and in the following century defeated Carthage, and controlled the Greece. Throughout the remainder of the 2nd Century (B.C.) the Roman Empire continued its gradual conquest of the Hellenistic (Greek Colonial) World by conquering Syria and Macedonia; and finally came to control Egypt in the 1st Century (B.C.). The pinnacle of Roman power was achieved in the 1st Century (A.D.) as Rome conquered much of Britain and Western Europe. For a brief time, the era of “Pax Romana”, a time of peace and consolidation reigned. Civilian emperors were the rule, and the culture flourished with a great deal of liberty enjoyed by the average Roman Citizen. However within 200 years the Roman Empire was in a state of steady decay, attacked by Germans, Goths, and Persians. In the 4th Century (A.D.) the Roman Empire was split between East and West. The Great Emperor Constantine temporarily arrested the decay of the Empire, but within a hundred years after his death the Persians captured Mesopotamia, Vandals infiltrated Gaul and Spain, and the Goths even sacked Rome itself. Most historians date the end of the Western Roman Empire to 476 (A.D.) when Emperor Romulus Augustus was deposed. However the Eastern Roman Empire (The Byzantine Empire) survived until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 A.D. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Britain in the West, throughout most of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, and into Asia Minor. Valuables such as coins and jewelry were commonly buried for safekeeping, and inevitably these ancient citizens would succumb to one of the many perils of the ancient world. Oftentimes the survivors of these individuals did not know where the valuables had been buried, and today, two thousands years later caches of coins and rings are still commonly uncovered throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Roman Soldiers oftentimes came to possess large quantities of “booty” from their plunderous conquests, and routinely buried their treasure for safekeeping before they went into battle. If they met their end in battle, most often the whereabouts of their treasure was likewise, unknown. Throughout history these treasures have been inadvertently discovered by farmers in their fields, uncovered by erosion, and the target of unsystematic searches by treasure seekers. With the introduction of metal detectors and other modern technologies to Eastern Europe in the past three or four decades, an amazing number of new finds are seeing the light of day 2,000 years or more after they were originally hidden by their past owners. And with the liberalization of post-Soviet Eastern Europe, new markets have opened eager to share in these treasures of the Roman Empire. Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Insurance is available for both domestic and international shipments ($8 for domestic shipments; $18 for international shipments; ONLY required when PayPal is used – you may deduct this amount if you prefer an uninsured shipment AND you pay by check or money order or EU transfer). We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments. If you do NOT want an insured shipment, send us a check or money order or EU transfer and deduct the invoiced insurance premium. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. I prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment – and I will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no “holds”). If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price. Most of the items I offer come from the collection of a family friend who was active in the field of Archaeology for over forty years. However many of the items also come from purchases I make in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) from various institutions and dealers. Though I have always had an interest in archaeology, my own academic background was in sociology and cultural anthropology. After my retirement however, I found myself drawn to archaeology as well. Aside from my own personal collection, I have made extensive and frequent additions of my own via purchases on Ebay (of course), as well as many purchases from both dealers and institutions throughout the world – but especially in the Near East and in Eastern Europe. I spend over half of my year out of the United States, and have spent much of my life either in India or Eastern Europe. In fact much of what we generate on Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay goes to support The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as some other worthy institutions in Europe connected with Anthropology and Archaeology. I acquire some small but interesting collections overseas from time-to-time, and have as well some duplicate items within my own collection which I occasionally decide to part with. Though I have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, my primary interest is in ancient jewelry. My wife also is an active participant in the "business" of antique and ancient jewelry, and is from Russia. I would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from me. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Whenever I am overseas I have made arrangements for purchases to be shipped out via domestic mail. If I am in the field, you may have to wait for a week or two for a COA to arrive via international air mail. But you can be sure your purchase will arrive properly packaged and promptly - even if I am absent. And when I am in a remote field location with merely a notebook computer, at times I am not able to access my email for a day or two, so be patient, I will always respond to every email. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE." Place a Bid!