Rare Ancient Egyptian Carved Carnelian Frog Amulet Swivel Ring 18th Dynasty

A superb ancient Roman agate intaglio ring. The high-karat gold signet ring is set with an engraved gemstone, known as an ‘intaglio’. It dates from between the 2nd to 3rd century AD and is a fine example of a Romano-British intaglio. The conical-shaped agate gemstone displays various bands of colour ranging from honey brown to greyish-blue. The engraving depicts the bust of a man wearing a helmet, possibly winged which would depict Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, financial gain and communication. In Roman times, people would wear rings with the intaglio of Mercury in hope that the he would protect them and bless them with good financial fortune in their lives. A number of referenced examples of similar ancient Roman conical shaped intaglios reside in notable museums all across the world, from the British Museum to the Louvre. A page with these examples and their sources can be found in the final photos of the listing. Similar examples can also be found in the extensive Alice and Louis Koch collection (items: 234, 235, 241, 301). Again see final images for reference. The gold ring mount is of D-shaped cross-section and a hollow 22K gold construction. The ring has a fantastic smooth silk-like texture when worn. It remains in good overall condition and the intaglio is very secure in the mount. The gold mount dates to the late 18th to early 19th century, and the shape is inspired by ancient Roman ring...

A scarce and small ancient Roman gold Medusa cameo ring, circa 2nd to 3rd century AD. The carved layered onyx gemstone is white in colour and depicts the bust of Medusa engraved wit...

This rare antique late 18th century gold ring was made in France and features a painted enamel miniature of a shepherd boy holding a crook. This pastoral scene probably depicts David...

This incredibly ornate piece was made in Siam during the late Ayutthaya or early Rattanakosin Kingdom period. It dates to the late 18th and is a very rare example of a ceremonial ‘mondop’ or ‘pagoda’ ring. These rings were made for the monarchy and aristocratic class of Siam to be worn as part of the lavish adornment paraphernalia used in ceremonies. These elaborate rings were subsequently given as gifts to important visitors or other aristocratic families. A similar example is found in Musée National du Château de Fontainebleau and was originally presented to Napoléon-III by the ambassadors of King Mongkut of Siam (Rama IV) alongside hundreds of other lavish gifts in order to re-establish diplomatic relations between France and Siam in 1861. Among these gifts are old jewels from King Mongkut’s treasury, including the gold diamond mondop/pagoda ring (see photos). During this visit, the son of the Siamese ambassador, Khoumsombat, is photographed wearing a very similar tiered mondop ring with what also appears to be a ruby cabochon at the top (see photos). A ‘mondop’ is the tiered roof of a temple, for example that of Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, and is designed to be in the shape of the image of Buddha. The top tier of this ring features a bezel set star ruby cabochon while the rest of the bezel is covered with diamonds. The two outermost tiers rotate and are connected to the main body of the ring with a bifurcated rivet visible on the closed-back underside of the bezel, typical ornamentation of 18th century layered cluster rings. The arched shoulders are equally as ornate with bezel set rub over diamonds, emeralds and rubies appearing between foliate motifs and protruding serpent-esque decoration. The underside and outershank display bright red and green floral enamelling often seen on naga rings...