Antique Roman Ring with a Hardstone Intaglio: The Ant from Aesop's Fable, 2nd/3rd Century A.D.

Formica, the Ant

Antique Roman Ring with a Hardstone Intaglio: The Ant from Aesop's Fable, 2nd/3rd Century A.D.

€ 8,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

One of the most beautiful and fascinating areas of jewelry collecting is that of antique intaglios and cameos. These depictions—carved into hard gemstones and rendered in either recessed or raised relief—unfold a visual world ranging from portraits of famous rulers and philosophers to gods and heroes, as well as scenes from mythology, literature, and everyday life in antiquity. Since carved cameos were extraordinarily popular in ancient Greece and Rome and were used as jewellery, seals, or personal gifts, a surprisingly large number of original examples have survived to this day. We are particularly pleased when we can offer stones featuring rare motifs. The finely engraved stone in this ring depicts an ant, thus drawing on one of the most famous fables by the Greek poet Aesop from the 6th century B.C. This small depiction alone was enough for ancient viewers to recognize the entire story within it. The ant embodied diligence, foresight, and wise precaution—virtues whose timeless relevance the fable has retained to this day. The poet Phaedrus played a significant role in popularizing this motif; at the beginning of the Imperial period, he translated Aesop’s fables from Greek into Latin, thereby introducing them to the Roman Empire. The layered agate is set in particularly high-karat gold. The ring’s shape, with broad shoulders and sharply angled surfaces, is typical of the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries A.D. A very similar ring from the Slava Yevsayev Collection is illustrated in Jeffrey Spier / Jack Ogden: *i* *Rings of the Ancient World* , Wiesbaden 2025, p. 133. This ancient ring came to us from a collection in Cologne.

Size & Details

Formica, the Ant

€ 8,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Formica, the Ant

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