A Roman Intaglio of Victoria, ca 2nd century CE

This would have to be one of the most charming intaglio rings offered for awhile.  The intaglio is Roman, ca 2nd century with a well-incised depiction of Victoria, goddess of Victory (equivalent to the Greek goddess Nike) shown standing in left profile, holding a wreath and palm branch.  Set in an 18K late Georgian antique gold ring.

Carnelian was known in the 4th-5th millennia BCE and was used in the decorative arts of Bronze Age civilizations, including Cretan, Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician, and Greek. Because hot wax does not stick to carnelian, the stone always had popularity as a material for seals of all kinds. The finest Roman jewelry was Hellenistic in influence, and often produced by Greek craftsmen working in Alexandria, Antioch, or Rome itself.

Condition: Scratches and a small break to the ring bezel but overall intact and in very good condition, a very charming example of type.

Dimensions:   US ring size 5 1/2

Provenance:  Private mid-west collection.