{"product_id":"roman-bronze-ring-formica-1st-3rd-century-ce-ancient-signet-insect-intaglio-authentic-artifact-navette-bezel","title":"Roman Bronze Ring - 'Formica' (1st–3rd c. CE) EU 47 \/ US 4","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis small Roman bronze signet ring, named 'Formica', preserves a rare and charming intaglio: an ant, engraved directly into the pointed-oval bezel. Cast in a single piece with a slender D-section hoop, it belongs to a well-documented Imperial signet type, with a direct published parallel in Marshall's 1907 British Museum catalogue (no. 130, an 'insect' motif on an identical bronze ring from the Blacas Collection).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetails:\u003cbr\u003eEra: Roman, 1st–3rd Century CE\u003cbr\u003eMaterial: Bronze\u003cbr\u003eRing Size: EU 47 \/ US 4\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Untouched original state, deep dark patina with localized flaking exposing a warm bronze substrate; engraving remains legible\u003cbr\u003eProvenance: From a private Belgian collection, acquired between the 1960s and 1990s\u003cbr\u003eUnique Identifier: R-225-B\u003cbr\u003eAuthenticity: Comes with certificate of authenticity\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestoration and Authenticity:\u003cbr\u003eThis piece is preserved in its untouched state, showing natural aging and patina from centuries of burial and wear. For those who prefer a refreshed look, a professional restoration service is available, reviving original detail while respecting historical integrity.\u003cbr\u003eIf you’d like to book a restoration, simply add the restoration option along with your order or book it as the additional product in my shop.\u003cbr\u003eA Certificate of Authenticity is included.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorical Context:\u003cbr\u003eRoman signet rings served as both personal seals and quiet declarations of identity. The ant, though uncommon in glyptic art, carried resonant meaning: industry, foresight, and the steady accumulation of prosperity, virtues admired in Roman agrarian and mercantile life. Small bronze signets of this navette-bezel form were widely produced across the Empire during the Antonine and Severan periods, and an authentic Roman signet ring with a legible insect motif remains a genuine rarity among collector pieces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy This Piece?\u003cbr\u003e'Formica' unites an unusual iconographic subject with a textbook Roman signet form, backed by a direct 19th-century museum parallel. It is an ancient Roman signet ring for the collector who values scholarship as much as beauty, small enough for everyday wear yet weighted with nearly two millennia of history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExplore more \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ancient-roman-rings\"\u003eRoman rings\u003c\/a\u003e from our collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aurora Antiqua","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62824558231882,"sku":"R-225-B","price":320.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0897\/7140\/9738\/files\/roman-bronze-signet-ring-formica-with-engraved-ant-motif-on-pointed-oval-bezel-t-1.jpg?v=1785263489","url":"https:\/\/auroraantiqua.com\/products\/roman-bronze-ring-formica-1st-3rd-century-ce-ancient-signet-insect-intaglio-authentic-artifact-navette-bezel","provider":"Aurora Antiqua","version":"1.0","type":"link"}