{"product_id":"byzantine-silver-ring-anna-6th-8th-century-ce-ancient-christian-signet-kyrie-boethei-inscription-authentic-seal-ring","title":"Byzantine Silver Ring - 'Anna' (6th–8th c. CE) EU 60 \/ US 9.25","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Byzantine silver signet ring, named 'Anna', carries one of the most beloved invocations of the Christian East: Κ(ΥΡΙ)Ε ΒΟΗΘ(ΕΙ) ΑΝΝΑ, 'Lord, help Anna.' The broad flat-band hoop rises into trumpet-shaped shoulders to support a large oval bezel, deeply engraved in retrograde so that each pressing into wax would return the prayer the right way around. A rare survival, intimate and devotional.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetails:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEra: Byzantine, 6th–8th Century CE\u003cbr\u003eMaterial: Silver\u003cbr\u003eRing Size: EU 60 \/ US 9.25\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Excellent, with uneven silver sulfide patina, crisp legible inscription, and natural wear consistent with centuries of use\u003cbr\u003eProvenance: Private London collection; previously in a 1990s UK Ancient art collection.\u003cbr\u003eUnique Identifier: R-208-S\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestoration and Authenticity:\u003cbr\u003eOffered in its original and cleaned condition with no modern repairs. A Certificate of Authenticity is included.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorical Context:\u003cbr\u003eThe formula ΚΥΡΙΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ, 'Lord help', became the defining invocation of Byzantine personal seals from the 6th century onward, appearing on thousands of lead bullae and a smaller corpus of precious-metal signet rings. Such rings authenticated letters and documents in wax, while doubling as a spiritual amulet worn against the skin. The angular, slightly irregular letter forms suggest a provincial workshop, most likely in western Anatolia or the wider eastern Mediterranean, where this type is best documented. As an original Byzantine ring with documented provenance and a named owner, this is an unusually personal piece of late antique Christian material culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy This Piece?\u003cbr\u003eFew antique rings with engraved iconography speak as directly as this one: a woman named Anna, fourteen centuries ago, pressed this very bezel into wax to seal her correspondence. For the collector of authentic Byzantine silver, this is a rare wearable artifact joining typology, inscription, and human voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExplore more \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/byzantine-rings\"\u003eByzantine rings\u003c\/a\u003e from our collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aurora Antiqua","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61909443182922,"sku":"R-208-S","price":850.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0897\/7140\/9738\/files\/IMG_0813.jpg?v=1779689841","url":"https:\/\/auroraantiqua.com\/products\/byzantine-silver-ring-anna-6th-8th-century-ce-ancient-christian-signet-kyrie-boethei-inscription-authentic-seal-ring","provider":"Aurora Antiqua","version":"1.0","type":"link"}