Gold Ring with Rare Carnelian Intaglio Depicting the Goddess Artemis Phosphorus

Culture: Roman

Period: 2nd-3rd century A.D.

Material: Gold, Carnelian

Dimensions: 2.2 cm in diameter, 3.7 grams

Price: Sold

Ref: 3780

Provenance: Private collection of Lee Kieffer, USA. Acquired over the past 25 years.

Condition: In wonderful condition and ready to wear.

Description: Rod-shaped gold ring with a large, oval-shaped setting open at the bottom, set with a finely carved carnelian intaglio from the Roman Imperial period. It depicts a female deity, likely Artemis (the Roman Diana), the mistress of the wild. The goddess looks to the left and holds two long torches, one on either side of her body. This iconography identifies her as Artemis Phosphorus, the “torch-bearer.” In this role, the torches emphasize her function as the bearer of divine light. Notably, she is also shown holding a bow in her left hand. She is wearing a long, flowing garment and have dense, curly hair held by a headband, from which a ribbon falls down the back of her neck. See for the type of Artemis holding two torches, the Denarius of Publius Clodius dating 42 B.C. Published in: Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae II, 1984, p. 824, no. 194. Such as a Bronze coin of the emperor Hadrian, on which the goddess is depicted holding a torch in her right and a bow in her left hand. Published in: Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae II (1984), p. 824, no. 196.