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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy Roman finger ring retaining the blue-glass intaglio. The finger ring is quite large with a maximum internal width of 21mm. The finger ring is of Henig (1974) Type VIII. The shoulders of the finger ring are keeled resulting in the interior of the ring being wider than it is deep. Raised linear mouldings and ribbing decorate the shoulders. The bezel is lozenge-shaped in plan with a raised octagonal setting in the centre that holds the oval intaglio. The intaglio is formed of a blue glass insert depicting a male figure in low relief. The intaglio measures 12.3mm long by 9.77mm wide. This is a nice example of a complete c.third century finger ring.The recorder is indebted to Prof. Martin Henig for his consideration and description of the ring, which follows:"The ring is of copper alloy with facetted hoop and keeled sides; the bezel has decorative incisions on each side and a raised polygonal setting for the intaglio. The ring belongs to Henig type VIII (M.Henig, A Corpus of Roman Engraved Gemstones from British Sites (BAR 8,1974 edition, fig.2; 1978 and 2007 editions,fig.1) . The ring is closely comparable to one in the British Museum from Pont-y-Saison, near Chepstow, Mon, whose setting is missing (F.H. Marshall, Catalogue of the Finger Rings, Greek, Etruscan and Roman in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum, British Museum 1907,p.215 and pl. xxxii no.1403). This is a 3rd century ring type.The oval intaglio is cast in a cobalt blue glass and depicts a standing figure with one arm raised and the other possibly holding a shield like object. This is an example of a class of intaglio moulded in green, blue or occasionally yellow glass, depicting schematised human figures, largely confined to the southern part of Britain and presumably made here (Henig, Corpus of Roman Engraved Gemstones from British Sites, nos 539-578, App.164-171). For an example of somewhat similar form, but in green glass, set in a ring of cognate form cf M.Henig, 'The signet ring', pp.1446 and fig.7.105 in B.Cunliffe and C.Poole, The Danebury Environs Roman Programme. A Wessex Landscape during the Roman Era. Vol. 2 part 7. Dunkirt Barn, Abbotts Ann, Hants, 2005 and 2006(Oxford 2008)".
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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