Ring
100-200 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring takes the form of a spiral and ends in a snake's head.
Roman jewellery borrowed heavily from Hellenistic goldwork. This particular type was common in Hellenistic times, especially in Egypt.
Snakes were the symbol of a number of deities associated with healing, including the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek god of medicine Asclepios. It was therefore a commonly used pattern in jewellery, its spiral shape lending itself well to rings and necklaces. Worn as an amulet, the snake protected its wearer.
Roman jewellery borrowed heavily from Hellenistic goldwork. This particular type was common in Hellenistic times, especially in Egypt.
Snakes were the symbol of a number of deities associated with healing, including the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek god of medicine Asclepios. It was therefore a commonly used pattern in jewellery, its spiral shape lending itself well to rings and necklaces. Worn as an amulet, the snake protected its wearer.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Chased gold |
| Brief description | Gold serpent ring, formed of two coils terminating in two chased snake heads, Roman Empire, 100-200 AD |
| Physical description | Gold serpent ring, formed of two coils terminating in two chased cobra heads. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Dame Joan Evans |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This ring takes the form of a spiral and ends in a snake's head. Roman jewellery borrowed heavily from Hellenistic goldwork. This particular type was common in Hellenistic times, especially in Egypt. Snakes were the symbol of a number of deities associated with healing, including the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek god of medicine Asclepios. It was therefore a commonly used pattern in jewellery, its spiral shape lending itself well to rings and necklaces. Worn as an amulet, the snake protected its wearer. |
| Bibliographic reference | Hindman, Sandra ed. Cycles of life: rings from the Benjamin Zucker family collection, London, 2014, p.39 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.135-1962 |
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| Record created | March 21, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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