Men’s Ring With Intaglio Depicting Mars, 835 Silver, Circa 1900

Impressive men’s ring in 835 silver set with a hand-carved intaglio depicting the god Mars in antique profile.

The rectangular bezel features a deep reddish-brown glass paste imitating carnelian, finely engraved with a heroic helmeted profile. The treatment of the face, crested helmet and cuirass belongs fully to the great Neoclassical tradition inspired by Greco-Roman antiquity.

The substantial and architectural mount displays sculpted decoration on the shoulders, giving the piece a particularly strong presence. The contrast between the geometric sobriety of the setting and the more elaborate volumes of the mount creates a remarkably balanced and almost sculptural composition.

Work dating to around 1900, in the taste of antique intaglios and historicist jewellery.

835 silver mark.

Weight: 13 grams
Ring size: 61
Bezel dimensions: 1.5 × 2 cm

Very good overall condition.

Gallery Note

What we particularly appreciate in this ring is its striking visual modernity. Despite its obvious antique inspiration, it possesses an almost contemporary presence through both its proportions and the graphic strength of its design.

The profile of Mars, rendered with real vigour, transcends mere decorative pastiche. There is something here of the reinvented ancient seal, somewhere between collector’s jewellery and sculptural object.

It is also a piece that interacts beautifully with light: the glass paste reveals deep and changing tones, while the silver mount asserts an almost architectural silhouette.

A jewel of real character, at the crossroads of imagined archaeology, late Art Nouveau sensibility and masculine collector’s jewellery.