By the first and second centuries C.E., engravings on carnelian stones become more prevalent in Roman rings.

But, in the early classical period (circa c.480–450 B.C.E.), he began to be represented as a young god, just as he appears on this engraved gemstone. Since the gold and carnelian ring in the JHUAM was most likely worn by a young child, it probably did not serve this purpose and was meant, instead, as a form of identification and protective amulet.īefore the fifth century B.C.E., Hermes was usually depicted as a bearded man.

Intaglio gems were regularly used as signet rings. If so, it is possible that this ring might have belonged to the son of a merchant, and been intended as a way of encouraging the child to follow in his father’s footsteps. In antiquity, engraved gemstones were often meant to reflect the personal characteristics of the wearer. Thus, Hermes became the patron of merchants and travelers. The caduceus became the object that Hermes would use to lead the souls of the dead to the underworld. He later traded this instrument for Apollo’s staff, the caduceus, as part of a truce. After he had sacrificed several cows to the gods, he used their innards to produce the strings of the first lyre. In fact, Hermes was said to have stolen King Admetus’ cattle from his older brother, Apollo, soon after his birth. Even as a baby, he was endowed with great cunning. These attributes are often associated with the god, Hermes, known to the Romans as Mercury. The ring’s engraved gem portrays a male figure who wears a round hat and holds a walking staff. The small size of the gold ring with a carnelian stone in the JHUAM suggests that it was intended for a child. Like the Egyptians and the Greeks, the Romans believed that the carnelian stone was endowed with magical powers capable of warding off the evil eye. Carnelian stones, which were immensely popular throughout Greco-Roman antiquity, originated from deposits in the Arabian Peninsula and India. By the fourth century B.C.E., we find numerous references in Greek texts to Eastern gems. Crystal clear rhinestones are all prong set and the gold plating is brilliant. Through trade, these objects reached the Mediterranean. Shop weebijouxjewelss closet or find the perfect look from millions of stylists. By the second millennium B.C.E., engraved gems had developed into a full-fledged industry in the Indus Valley. Learn more.The art of gem carving or intaglio dates as far back as the seventh millennium B.C.E. Braude Memorial Collection Reference Number 2013.1105 IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Status On View, Gallery 153 Department Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium Artist Ancient Roman Title Finger Ring with Intaglio Depicting Eros Place Rome (Object made in) Date 200 CE–300 CE Medium Gold and banded stone or glass Dimensions 2.5 × 2 cm (1 × 3/4 in.) Credit Line Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. Over time, imperial expansion increased Romans’ access to a variety of valuable materials, leading to a distinctly Roman taste for jewelry incorporating color-typically in the form of gemstones or glass, as seen in this ring. Artists of the time created some works in accord with earlier Hellenistic and Etruscan preferencesįor the extravagant and conspicuous use of gold. For both men and women in the Roman world, jewelry functioned as a visible sign of wealth, social standing,Īnd gender.

Intaglio ring