A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE
A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE

A Roman Black Gryllos Ringstone Intaglio, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE

RJ2115

¥777,600
/
  • This object qualifies for free USA shipping and a flat rate fee of $60 if shipping internationally.

The elliptical black onyx intaglio engraved with a gryllos, or composite of human and animal parts, depicting the upper body of a man merged with the upper body of a wolf.

Grylloi, derived from the Italic word grillo ("freak") and the Latin gryllus ("caricature"), were popular subjects for the ancient Romans. Artists reportedly enjoyed creating these fantastic creatures with all combinations of parts, although certain combinations seemed to be more popular than others. While undoubtedly extremely amusing to the Romans, grylloi served a more serious purpose as well; they were thought to be talismans that acted as protection against the evil eye. Their strangeness was said to "attract the evil eye and thus lessens its force against its victims."

For a related example, see accession number 41.160.655 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of Greek and Roman Art.

Ref: Richter, Gisela M.A., Catalogue of Engraved Gems: Greek, Etruscan, Roman, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1956), p. 114.

Dimensions: US ring size 9 (UK=R 3/4, DE=19, JP=18)

Condition: A minor chip to the intaglio surface otherwise in very good condition, set in a modern 18k gold ring.

Provenance:   Private NYC collection, acquired from the trade, previously in a private UK collection.

Sands of Time provides a lifetime, unconditional guarantee of authenticity and provenance. Every object you purchase from us is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, stating culture, provenance, and age.

Furthermore, we conduct due diligence to ensure the item, to the best of our knowledge, has not been illegally obtained from an excavation, architectural monument, public institution, or private property. Wherever possible, reference is made to existing collections or publications.Wherever possible, reference is made to existing collections or publications.

We ship Tuesday to Friday with FedEx and usually same day if your order is received before 2pm. Within the continental USA, packing, shipping and insurance is free. Depending on size and destination, delivery times range from one to five business days.

For overseas shipments we charge a small flat rate which includes packing, preparation of all customs paperwork, insurance and carrier fees in compliance with all USA and International customs requirements.  Overseas shipments are sent using either USPS Priority Mail or FedEx but contact us if you have a shipping preference. International customers are responsible for all duties and taxes. 

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

You may also like

Come Visit Our Gallery

Any item from this site may be viewed by appointment at our Washington, DC location

Tuesday - Friday between 11 am - 5 pm.

Phone: 202 342 0518

Get directions