You can use this form above to contact me or call / WhatsApp me at 0032495207546

 

A gold and amethyst finger ring depicting Jupiter. Period Roman First  century CE.

SHAPE
1) The shape of the ring is Hellenistic ( cfr. Plantzos fig. III ).
COLOR
2) The maker or the client chose deliberately for the purple amethyst.

During the Roman Empire, purple was reserved for dignitaries, as we also can see by the restricted use of Egyptian Porphyry.
Tyrian purple, also known as royal purple, imperial purple, or imperial dye, is a natural reddish-purple dye. The name Tyrian refers to Tyre, Lebanon. It is secreted by several species of predatory sea snails in the family Muricidae ; rock snails originally known by the name 'Murex'. In ancient times, extracting this dye involved tens of thousands of snails and substantial labor, and as a result, the dye was highly valued. The color of the Tyrian purple varied from reddish to a bluish purple.

The gold of the ring and the purple of the stone are referring to the Toga picta, a purple toga embroidered with gold. During the Roman Republic, it was worn by generals in their triumphs and by the Praetor Urbanus when he rode in the chariot of the gods into the circus at the Ludi Apollinares.In that period the toga picta was worn by emperors, officers and magistrates, during the gladiatorial games; and also by the consuls on special occasions.
MEANING
3) The shape of the hollow golden ring and the use of the purple amethyst indicate that we are in the Roman Period. The intaglio is depicting Jupiter : the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter has curly hair, a beard and from the ribbon in his hair lightning appears. He is the god of the sky and thunder, and the king of the gods in ancient Roman religion and mythology. Jupiter was the chief deity of the Roman State religion throughout the Republican and Imperial eras. The Romans were convinced that Jupiter granted them supremacy because they honored him more than any other people. The augurs took their auspices first before the senate would act in important matters.As the sky god he was a divine witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend. Many of his functions were focused on the Capitoline Hill, where the citadel was located.    

Bearing this information in mind we can conclude that the ring was made or ordered for an important Roman person.

Size intaglio : 22 mm x 16,5 mm. Ring size : EU 64