David Aaron, 22 Berkeley Square, London UK-W1J 6EH, United Kingdom
Hellenistic Ring, 2nd Century B.C. - 1st Century A.D.
Hellenistic Ring, 2nd Century B.C. - 1st Century A.D., Gold, garnet © David Aaron
This beautiful ring is a fine example of the refinement and sophistication of gold jewellery dating from the Hellenistic period. Beginning with the death of Alexander the Great in 325 B.C., the era is renowned for its artistic efflorescence. Gold flooded into the Eastern Mediterranean after Alexander’s conquest of Persia, and with an abundance of material to work with, the skill of Hellenistic jewellers reached new heights of sophistication. Under Roman rule skilfully inlaid gems enjoyed great popularity, and towards the late Hellenistic period the ownership of gold finger rings became widespread.[1] This ring is particularly attractive on account of its delicate femininity and tasteful garnet setting.
The ring is fashioned from banded gold with a teardrop pendant of garnet at its head. Its bands are carefully attached to one another, rather than cast as a whole. It has been observed that ‘much late Hellenistic gold-work is characteristically composed of numerous separate small elements,’ and this piece is no exception.[2] The head of the ring is inlaid with a small, bright garnet, in a setting decorated with gold granulation.
A comparable ring in the Metropolitan Museum shows the taste for gold and garnet typical to late Hellenistic and Roman jewellery. A pair of Greek bracelets in the J. Paul Getty Museum show the lovely coiled gold technique echoed by this ring. Here, the opulence of Roman inlaid gems is combined seamlessly with the elegance of Greek design to create a piece that bears the hallmarks of Hellenistic jewellery, and yet in its subtlety belongs to any age.
[1] R. A. Higgins; Greek and Roman Jewellery, 1961, p.174
[2] J. Ogden; Ancient Jewellery, 1992, p.42