For Customers outside of USA

Size 9 Genuine Ancient Elaborately Engraved Adjustable-Size Roman Bronze Intaglio Ring 350-450 A.D. Depicting Two Roman Legionary Soldiers Holding a Christian Chi-Ro Standard (a "Labarum") Between Them.

CLASSIFICATION: Ancient Roman Bronze Ring with Engraved Intaglio Bezel.

ATTRIBUTION: Eastern Roman Empire (Syria), Fourth or Fifth Century A.D.

SIZE/MEASUREMENTS: Fits ring size 9 (U.S.) - Adjustable to About Size 12.

Bezel: 9mm (height) * 8mm (width) * 2mm (thickness).

Fixed Width 4 1/2mm Band.

Diameter: 24 1/2mm * 21 1/2mm (outer diameter); 19mm * 18 1/2mm (inner diameter).

Weight: 3.94 grams.

CONDITION: Fairly good! Completely intact, moderately light wear consistent with ancient use. A little fuzziness due to some moderately light porosity (surface pitting caused by contact with earth while buried). Professionally conserved.

DETAIL: A well preserved Roman bronze ring circa fourth or fifth century A.D. The condition is very good, much better than average. It was worn, but not so much that the patterns and theme were obliterated. An interesting feature of the ring is that the back of the ring possesses overlapping ends so as to accommodate a finger of variable size. Though this may be quite surprising to modern eyes, it was actually not an uncommon feature to rings of both Roman and Byzantine origin. There is a little fuzziness due to porosity (fine surface pitting caused by prolonged burial in soil) and wear - but the theme as still clear and discernible. As you can see, the ring is very bold, handsome, and elegant in design. The rectangular "bezel" or face of the ring possesses a very nicely engraved intaglio depiction of two Roman Legionary Soldiers holding upright between them a Christian/Military banner known as a "Labarum". The inspiration and design of this banner is the legendary product of a vision the Emperor "Constantine the Great" had while dreaming.

An intaglio ring was used to press the wearer's "seal" into lead, clay, or wax, leaving an impression created by the ring's bezel. Though oftentimes the carved intaglio seal might be in the form of a gemstone such as carnelian, carved and then mounted onto a ring; frequently the intaglio seal was created by simply carving into a metal bezel - such as is the case here. Rather than in relief, the intaglio image was created recessed, and everything had to be carved in mirror image so that when a piece of clay or wax was impressed with the seal, the image would be "right side out". The starting point for the process was several (usually identifiable) holes drilled into the material to provide a starting point for the engravers tools; in this case, the two soldier's heads. The recessed engraving here is a remarkable illustration of the technique.

The Labarum was a late Roman military standard ornamented with the Christian monogram (Christogram), which consisted of the Greek letters Chi and Rho, the first two letters of Christ's name [Khr]istos). Actually labarum was an adaptation of the already existing cavalry standard of the Roman army; the pagan emblems were merely replaced by Christian symbols. The first labarum was actually a vision ascribed to the great Roman Christian Emperor "Constantine the Great". According to a 340 A.D. description of the dream by the Roman Historian Eusebius, Constantine's visionary standard was "a long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P [rho] being intersected by an X [chi] at the center." Along with the vision of this standard, Constantine in his dream heard the words, "In Hoc Vinces" (Latin for "in this conquer").

The sign became the imperial standard and led to the cult of the cross. From the cross-bar of the spear, was suspended a purple banner with the Greek inscription TOUTO NIKA -- i. e. conquer by this (sign), usually rendered in Latin "In hoc signo vinces" (in this sign thou shalt conquer). The part of the staff immediately above the embroidered banner was adorned with medallions of the emperor and his children. Fifty soldiers of the imperial guard, distinguished for bravery and piety, were entrusted with the care and defense of the sacred standard. Eventually standards similar to the original labarum were supplied to all the legionary armies, and the monogram was also engraved on the soldiers' shields. Two soldiers holding between them a labarum became an extremely popular depiction in late Roman Empire coinage - as had in previous centuries the same depiction utilizing two Roman soldiers holding a (non-Christian) military standard. For more on the subject, including depictions of a labarum on a Roman coin, please click here or here.

The engraved design exhibits exceptional workmanship. The ring is sturdily made and entirely intact. All-in-all a very elegant ring done with wonderful style. All of the engraving exhibits very fine workmanship, and is relatively well preserved. The ring fits a size 9, but inasmuch as the bands are open/overlapping at the back, it could expand to fit a finger as large as perhaps size 12. Most small artifacts such as this suffer extensive degradation from porosity, which is fine surface pitting caused by prolonged burial in caustic soil. This ring spent about sixteen centuries buried, and though there certainly is some porosity evidenced, it is not to the extent which so often completely disfigures small bronze artifacts such as this. By good fortune the ring happened to come to rest in fairly soil conditions. Please note that these photo enlargements here do, of course, greatly exaggerate the extent of the porosity (or pitting) evident. Although to the naked eye there is some very slight fuzziness in the carved features due to the light porosity, it actually looks very nice, and not at all like these photo enlargements here where the pitting is greatly exaggerated.

This is an exceptional piece of Roman jewelry, a very handsome artifact, eminently wearable, and a historical significant piece of Roman art work. The ring has a very gold tone, quite characteristic of ancient bronze. The Romans were very fond of jewelry and personal ornamentation, making wide use of very ornate belt buckles, brooches, earrings, hair pins, bracelets worn both on the forearm and upper arm, rings, and pendants. This is a wonderfully evocative reminder of the wonder and the glory which was the Empire of Rome. It is eminently wearable, an exceptional piece of ancient jewelry, and could easily be worn and enjoyed on a daily basis. It is an interesting historical relic which pertains not only to the history of the Roman Empire, the Roman Legions, and early Christianity; but also to the history of jewelry production.

HISTORY: One of the greatest civilizations of recorded history was the ancient Roman Empire. In exchange for a very modest amount of contemporary currency, you can possess a small part of that great civilization in the form of a 2,000 year old piece of jewelry. The Roman civilization, in relative terms the greatest military power in the history of the world, was founded in the 8th century (B.C.). In the 4th Century (B.C.) the Romans were the dominant power on the Italian Peninsula, having defeated the Etruscans and Celts. In the 3rd Century (B.C.) the Romans conquered Sicily, and in the following century defeated Carthage, and controlled the Greece. Throughout the remainder of the 2nd Century (B.C.) the Roman Empire continued its gradual conquest of the Hellenistic (Greek Colonial) World by conquering Syria and Macedonia; and finally came to control Egypt in the 1st Century (B.C.).

The pinnacle of Roman power was achieved in the 1st Century (A.D.) as Rome conquered much of Britain and Western Europe. For a brief time, the era of "Pax Romana", a time of peace and consolidation reigned. Civilian emperors were the rule, and the culture flourished with a great deal of liberty enjoyed by the average Roman Citizen. However within 200 years the Roman Empire was in a state of steady decay, attacked by Germans, Goths, and Persians. In the 4th Century (A.D.) the Roman Empire was split between East and West. The Great Emperor Constantine temporarily arrested the decay of the Empire, but within a hundred years after his death the Persians captured Mesopotamia, Vandals infiltrated Gaul and Spain, and the Goths even sacked Rome itself. Most historians date the end of the Western Roman Empire to 476 (A.D.) when Emperor Romulus Augustus was deposed. However the Eastern Roman Empire (The Byzantine Empire) survived until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 A.D.

At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Britain in the West, throughout most of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, and into Asia Minor. Valuables such as coins and jewelry were commonly buried for safekeeping, and inevitably these ancient citizens would succumb to one of the many perils of the ancient world. Oftentimes the survivors of these individuals did not know where the valuables had been buried, and today, two thousand years later caches of coins and rings are still commonly uncovered throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Roman Soldiers oftentimes came to possess large quantities of "booty" from their plunderous conquests, and routinely buried their treasure for safekeeping before they went into battle.

If they met their end in battle, most often the whereabouts of their treasure was likewise, unknown. Throughout history these treasures have been inadvertently discovered by farmers in their fields, uncovered by erosion, and the target of unsystematic searches by treasure seekers. With the introduction of metal detectors and other modern technologies to Eastern Europe in the past three or four decades, an amazing number of new finds are seeing the light of day two thousand years or more after they were originally hidden by their past owners. And with the liberalization of post-Soviet Eastern Europe, new markets have opened eager to share in these treasures of the Roman Empire.

These antiquities come from a number of collections which by and large originated here in Eastern Europe. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers, principally in Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these artifacts are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery via U.S. Mail. Proceeds of the sales benefit the Southern Urals State Student Association for Archaeological and Anthropological Studies in Russia; providing both postgraduate and undergraduate students with meaningful part-time employment, notebook computers, and both reference and study materials. It also supports other institutions and organizations within Russia involved in the study of anthropology and archaeology. All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price.

SHIPPING: These antiquities come from a number of collections which by and large originated here in Eastern Europe. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers, principally in Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these artifacts are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery via U.S. Mail. All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. A certificate of authenticity (COA) is available upon request.

Our order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington will ship your purchase within one business day of receipt of your personal check or money order. If you wish to pay electronically, we accept both PayPal and BidPay. However we ask that you PLEASE WAIT before remitting until we have mutually agreed upon method of shipment and shipping charges and you understand our PayPal limitations and policies (stated here). We will ship within one business day of our receipt of your electronic remittance.

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."