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A Sasanian gold and Roman nicolo intaglio ring image 1
A Sasanian gold and Roman nicolo intaglio ring image 2
Lot 232

Antiquities
1 May 2013, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £10,625 inc. premium

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A Sasanian gold and Roman nicolo intaglio ring
Iran, circa 3rd-4th Century A.D.
The solid gold Sasanian ring with scrolled shoulders, flaring at the oval bezel, set with a Roman nicolo intaglio carved with a scene of Eros riding an elephant emerging from a mollusc shell, the ring with with a large ball at the top of the bezel, 15mm length of intaglio; 25mm diam of hoop; finger size 'M'

Footnotes

Provenance:
English private collection, formed prior to 1960.

Literature:
This is an unusual subject, probably used as a symbol of life and rebirth. There is a nicolo ring in the British Museum showing an elephant emerging from a mollusc (inv. 1814,0704.1407 / Gem 2340). For the iconography, cf. M. Henig, The Elephant and the Sea-Shell, Oxford Journal of Archaeology no. 3, 1984, pp. 243-246.

Additional information

Bid now on these items

An Anatolian marble idol
A Mesopotamian clay cuneiform foundation cone with dedication inscription of King Lipit-Ishtar of Isin
A small Mesopotamian clay cuneiform foundation cone inscribed for King Sin-Kashid of Uruk
A Neo-Assyrian or Neo-Hittite bronze helmet with pelta-shaped cheek-pieces
A Babylonian agate "eye-stone" bead, inscribed for Nebuchadnezzar II
A large Etruscan Impasto Ware pottery olla
A Roman marble torso of a youth wearing a tunic
A Roman marble head of a satyr
An Attic pottery tankard with geometric decoration
A Greek bronze horse
A Greek pottery alabastron in the form of a greaved leg
A Greek green glazed faience hedgehog aryballos
A Greek bronze hydria with siren handle-plate
A Greek terracotta figure of a woman
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