A Roman Carnelian Intaglio Ringstone of Mercury, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st - 2nd century CE

a well detailed intaglio of Mercury, messenger of the gods, shown standing on a simple groundline, wearing a winged hat (petasos) and holding a herald's staff (caduceus) with two entwined snakes around it, in his right hand and a purse in his left.  The intaglio is set a vintage hollow bezel ring of 22K yellow gold, of ancient style.

This gold signet ring was designed to be worn across the fingers and used as a seal. Composed of an oval cabochon carnelian inset into a hollow bezel hammered from sheet gold and surrounded by four repoussé gold bands, it is an extraordinary example of a well-known type of Hellenistic ring favored in Ptolemaic Egypt. The image of the goddess of good fortune, Tyche to the Greeks and Fortuna to the Romans, is engraved into the surface of the stone in order to produce a relief impression when used as a stamp.

A related gemstone example can be found in the catalogue of the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of Ancient Gems and Finger Rings, figure 309. This example is early Roman as well and shows the god leaning on a column with similar posture and clutching the same belongings. The above example has more detail, particularly in the musculature of the god, making it a very interesting and charming piece.

Reference: Spier, Jeffrey. Ancient Hems and Finger Rings of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Malibu, CA, 1992. p. 119, fig. 309. 

Medium: Carnelian, gold

Dimensions: US ring size: 7 1/4

Condition: The intaglio is intact and in excellent condition overall. It has been set in a modern 22K gold ring.

Provenance: Private South Dakota collection, acquired from Barakat Galleries, Beverly Hills, in 1987. Accompanied by a copy of the original invoice.