{"product_id":"roman-silver-ring-audax-1st-3rd-c-ce-hercules-intaglio","title":"Roman Silver Ring - 'Audax' (ca. 1st–3rd c. CE) EU 53.25 \/ US 6.5","description":"\u003cp\u003eA silver signet ring named 'Audax', set with a Roman carnelian intaglio of Hercules wrestling the Nemean lion, a sign of strength and of trials overcome. Scroll-cut shoulders frame the oval setting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Engraving:\u003cbr\u003eHercules stands at the left, nude, leaning into the fight with both arms locked around the neck of the lion, which rears upright against him. The engraver modelled the hero's muscles in rounded drill work and gave the lion a hatched mane and a tail curling up to a tuft; both stand on a short groundline. No blade could pierce the lion's hide, so Hercules choked it with his bare hands, the first of his twelve labours.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetails:\u003cbr\u003eEra: Roman\u003cbr\u003eMaterial: Silver, carnelian intaglio\u003cbr\u003eRing Size: EU 53.25 \/ US 6.5\u003cbr\u003eWeight: 4 g\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Dark tarnish on the silver with brighter rubbed edges; a tan deposit in the scroll notches, inside the hoop and in the engraving, covering the hero's head; fine scratches across the carnelian\u003cbr\u003eProvenance: Private London collection; previously on the Dutch art market in the 1980s.\u003cbr\u003eUnique Identifier: R-641-S\u003cbr\u003eAuthenticity: Comes with certificate of authenticity\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCondition and Authenticity:\u003cbr\u003eThis original comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and our written lifetime authenticity guarantee.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorical Context:\u003cbr\u003eSunk below the surface of the carnelian, the scene prints in relief and reversed when pressed into wax, with the hero on the right. Gems of this kind gave their owners a personal seal to close a document or mark a possession. The silver ring, possibly later than the gem, carries it in a separate collet seated on a flat plate. Hercules won a place among the gods through his labours, and his image promised the wearer strength to come through hardship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe hero's bare-handed victory over the lion, cut in carnelian, lent its strength to whoever wore the ring.\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":64264801321290,"sku":"R-641-S","price":2400.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0897\/7140\/9738\/files\/audax-angled-front-view-of-the-silver-ring-and-its-carnelian-intaglio-1.jpg?v=1794040601","url":"https:\/\/auroraantiqua.com\/products\/roman-silver-ring-audax-1st-3rd-c-ce-hercules-intaglio","provider":"Aurora Antiqua","version":"1.0","type":"link"}