Lot 91. A Roman Gold Ring with Nicolo Intaglio, circa 3rd Century A.D. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.
solid-cast, the broad angular hoop deeply carved with inverted volutes at the sides and on top of the shoulders, the oval bezel set with a beveled nicolo intaglio engraved with a sea horse swimming to left. Total length 3 cm.; inside width 1.8 cm.; inside height 1.5 cm.
Provenance: Jeremy Caudron, Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, by descent from his maternal grandfather; said to have been in the family for at least five generations
Note: For related rings cf. F. H. Marshall, Catalogue of the Finger Rings, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum, 1968 (repr.), pl. XV, nos. 535 and 539, and J. Boardman and D. Scarisbrick, The Ralph Harari Collection of Finger Rings, 1977, nos. 37-39.