Etruscan Gold Ring, 4th-3rd Century Bc

Swivel Bezel Ring
Etruria, 4^th-3rd century B.C.

US Size: 11 ½
EU Size: 66

This finely crafted gold ring from the Etruscan period features a swivel bezel composed of a carnelian-carved scarab. The flat side is engraved with a mythological scene known in Etruscan glyptic art: the hero Hercules, holding his club, lies on a raft kept afloat by five amphorae (or wineskins). Various interpretations of this motif have been discussed (see bibliography below).

It is extremely rare to find on the market a ring in which both the setting and the scarab are of genuine Etruscan origin. This piece is all the more remarkable for being wearable and in exceptional condition.

Comparable works
Antiken Gemmen in Deutschen Sammlungen, Vol. II, no. 294
Die Antiken Gemmen des Kunsthistorisches Museums in Wien, Vol. I, no. 55
Furtwängler, Die antiken Gemmen, plate XIX, nos. 35–40