Lot 7A
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A gorgeous gold ring with a raised ovoid face featuring an inlaid blue glass dolphin. The Romans were largely a maritime empire, and the iconography of the sea included dolphins. Romans believed these animals carried souls to the Fortunate Isles, perhaps because they could pass through the air-breathing terrestrial world and into the watery depths that claimed so many Roman sailors' lives. Size: 0.8" L x 0.7" W (2 cm x 1.8 cm); US ring size: 4.25; gold quality: 96.29% (equivalent to over 23 karats); weight: 4.2 grams
The dolphin was a strong motif in Classical culture as a whole; in the Homeric Hymn to Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans) we learn that dolphins were once humans, created when sailors kidnapped Dionysus and he made them magically leap into the sea and transform into the grinning mammals. The dolphin was also considered the swiftest of all living beings and is associated with godliness and royalty because of its place as king of the sea.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#185628
- Condition: Some light bending but form is still clear. Nick to periphery of face and some loss to enamel in dolphin. Otherwise, intact, wearable, and in overall excellent condition.
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