Italian or German, 16th century, Finger ring with Saint George and the dragon. Photo courtesy Sotheby's

enamelled gold, the circular bezel set with an emerald cut intaglio - bezel: 16mm.,  10/16 in. ring size N. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 GBP 

The arabesques adorning the hoop of this attractive gold ring, together with the frieze pattern encircling the bezel, indicate that it dates to the 16th century. Similar motifs are found on a German or Italian late 16th-century ring and a German mid- 16th-century ring in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. nos. M.218-1975 and M.219-1975). The fluting on the hoop is comparable to that seen on a 16th-century cameo ring published by Scarisbrick (op. cit., no. 173).

Given the subject of the intaglio, it is tempting to speculate that the ring may have been commissioned by a Dalmatian patron, since St. George was the patron saint of the Dalmatian community in Italy. A similar composition appears in a marble relief on the side of the Dalmatian Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni in Venice.

RELATED LITERATURE: D. Scarisbrick, Historic Rings. Four Thousand Years of Craftsmanship, Tokyo, New York and London, 2004, p. 75, no. 173 

Sotheby's. European Sculpture & Works of Art. London | 04 déc. 2013, 11:00 AM -www.sothebys.com