ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art
Finger Ring with Intaglio Gem Depicting an Eagle and Divine Attributes
CultureRoman
PeriodImperial
Date3rd Century CE
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin
DimensionsOverall (Stone): 7/16 × 3/4 × 3/16 in. (1.1 × 1.9 × 0.5 cm)
Hoop diameter (Internal): 3/4 in. (1.9 cm)
Object number2008.031.100
Label TextOctagonal ringstones constitute a distinct class of late Roman gemstones that enjoyed limited popularity in the 2nd-4th centuries CE and may have been produced in central Turkey. The octagonal shape may have appealed to a specific clientele: early Christians associated the number eight with rebirth and new beginnings. The image of an eagle holding a wreath in its beak was closely connected to the Roman army and imperial triumph. The motif appears frequently on octagonal gemstones, which may have been popular with soldiers. The palm grasped in the eagle’s talons signifies military victory, in this case guaranteed by divine providence: the attributes of different gods adorn the stone’s eight facets (a thunderbolt for Zeus, trident for Poseidon, thyrsus for Dionysus, and lyre and bow and arrow for Apollo).
Exhibition HistoryMaking an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022
Published ReferencesAndew Goldman, "The Octagonal Gemstones from Gordion: Observations and Interpretations," Anatolian Studies 64 (2014), catalogue number G111.
ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California, purchased from Christie's, New York, 13 December 2002, lot 633.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Greek and Roman Art
3rd Century CE
3rd Century CE
2nd Century CE
1st-2nd Century CE
2nd Century CE
ca. 3200-2700 BCE
2nd-mid 3rd Century CE
late 1st Century BCE
