Roman 22K+ Gold Ring w/ Carnelian Intaglio

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A heavy, handsome gold ring with an ovoid bright red carnelian intaglio featuring a standing human figure and a playful goat. The ring has a graceful form, widening at the shoulder into its wide, ovoid bezel with the inlaid gemstone perfectly set into its center. The richness of the gold alloy gives it a warm glow in any light.

Fascinatingly, scholars believe that jewelry made with gemstones was made at small workshops in each town throughout the Roman Empire - for example, a find of gems at a house in Pompeii may be evidence for a local gem engraver's workshop.

The goat was associated with Dionysus, god of wine and nature, and with the revels of the satyrs. Imagery of goats cavorting with drunken worshippers and partygoers seem to have spoken deeply to Romans, especially the elite who could afford such a nice ring. They were attracted to Dionysus and his associated imagery for many reasons, aside from just his being the god of pleasure - his half-mortal form, his magnificent lifestyle, and the possibility that he could be an ancestor of their own. From the 2nd century onward, scenes of Dionysus and his entourage crowd the artwork of Roman public and private life.