AN EXCEPTIONAL GREEK GOLD & AGATE INTAGLIO RING DEPICTING THE GODDESS DEMETER & BABY NURSING OVER WH

拍品描述

AN EXCEPTIONAL GREEK GOLD & AGATE INTAGLIO RING DEPICTING THE GODDESS DEMETER & BABY NURSING OVER WHEAT This exceptional Greek gold ring is set with an oval red agate intaglio, finely engraved with a seated female figure identified as the goddess Demeter, shown nursing a child beside ears of wheat. The rich crimson stone is held within a plain gold bezel, the warm gold hoop widening toward the setting to support the intaglio. The reverse reveals a smooth, unadorned gold shank, while the front displays the engraved scene with remarkable clarity and depth. Dating to circa 1st–2nd century A.D., the ring reflects the enduring importance of intaglio gems in the Classical and Roman worlds, where engraved stones served both as personal adornment and as seals. The imagery of Demeter, goddess of grain, fertility and agricultural abundance, is especially appropriate here, with the wheat reinforcing themes of nourishment, renewal and prosperity. The combination of precious gold and deeply coloured agate gives the piece both visual richness and symbolic strength.

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