Object Description
A lovely Ancient Roman gold finger ring of a small size. The ring features a round section hoop and an oval bezel inserted perpendicularly across the shoulders. The bezel is set with a flat-topped dark jasper stone, engraved with an intaglio depicting an image of Cupid riding on a dolphin.
The engraving of gemstones was a major luxury art form in the Ancient World. In Ancient Roman culture gemstones were amongst the most expensive and luxurious objects and were prized above all other possessions. This type of representation was a popular subject in Ancient Roman art, being an allegory of love. In Ancient Roman culture mythology, Cupid was the god of love who was capable of making divine or mortal individuals fall in love with his enchanted arrows. Cupid is generally represented as a cute chubby boy with wings, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows.
Period: 2nd – 3rd Century AD