Authentic Latest Additions added 15th February 2008

CELTIC BRONZE RING

Golden Decorated Celtic Battle Ring "BRIGID'S CROSS".

This ring was found at a Roman encampment but is 500 to 600 years older than the other artefacts found with it and dates from around 400 - 300 BC. This ring is a "Battle" ring. The projecting table of the raised bezel was designed to act as a weapon of last resort. The conical, table bezel, which measures about 12mm in diameter, as well as the bulbous escutcheons on the shoulders that protected the wearer in a close quarters fight.

There is a nice design on this ring's bezel. There are nice pairs of convex lines which frame the central design. This design came to be known as Brigid's Cross to the Irish Celts but the design dates back into antiquity. The original designs would have been woven from green reeds and kept over the hearth for fertility and luck throughout the year. There are the two shoulder escutcheons where the band meets the 45 degree angles of the sloping shoulders and they each have the remains of a row of highlighting decorations which are common to these rings.

The band is EXTREMELY thick and strong and look at the picture above where you'll see the added touch of a sloping flange under the table of the bezel which adds a decorative element to the ring but also strengthened the design for use in a fight. This is one of the best Celtic designs you can find. This ring is a bit out of round but fits a finger between a size 8 1/2 and a size 8 3/4 american

• UK Size Q     more celtic rings
• Ref 1832
• SOLD

CELTIC BRONZE RING Celtic "Sun God" Ring ca. 200 B.C.

This fine 2,200 year old ring was found at a Celtic Site in the Danube Valley and is simply breathtaking! This ring is modeled after a Celtic Tribal Chieftain's ring which has the symbol of the Celtic Sun God "Bel" deeply engraved right in the center of the ring's mirror-like bezel. The "Sun God" of the Celtic peoples of Eastern Europe was known as, Bel (Belenus or Belenos) (Gaul) God of healing and light, and referred to as "The Shining One". He is in charge of the welfare of sheep and cattle. His wife is the goddess Belisama. They can be compared with Apollo and Minerva. It is from this God that we get the name for the Celtic Fire Festival Beltaine.

Besides the nice bezel face engraving, the shoulders of the nice solid band have fine linear V-shaped decorations on them. US size 7 3/4.

• UK Size P 1/2    more celtic rings
• Ref 1834
• SOLD

Celtic Bronze Ring HUGE CHIEFS MAGIC SWIRL

Golden Celtic Magic Swirls ring dates from between 300BC and 100AD. This fine ring features a 16mm X 13mm lozenge shaped bezel which is quite thick! The bezel has the 2 opposing swirls engraved upon it as well as some more accent lines and a nice outlining design. The accent lines are nice because they make the Swirls appear to be spinning in a counterclockwise direction.

These swirl designs were quite popular among the Ancient Celts and figured heavily in a lot of their decorative work. The Celts were heavily influenced by the Greeks and adopted a lot of their stylistic motifs into their own craftwork. There are also some thick, horizontal ribs on the shoulders as well as around the bezel edge. These shoulder decorations almost look like they were meant to resemble "rope" or "wrappings". The wear patterns on this ring show that this ring was worn daily for many, many years and possible by more than one generation of warriors. US Size 11+ Average Opening = 20.89mm

• UK Size V 1/2    more celtic rings
• Ref 1836
• SOLD

Roman Bronze Ring BIG WARRIOR DESIGN

This ring was found at a Roman site in Ancient Moesia and dates from 100 - 300 AD

This ring was cast from a rich, golden alloy which is the finest that you are likely to see in a ring of this type. The design on the raised, 14mm round table bezel, is a nicely done "Diamond-Star Cross" design. which is highly detailed. The larger, "Petal" shaped arms of the cross are very deep. The band is very big for its size and even though there is a casting flaw at the back of the band it remains intact. This ring is an excellent example of the period's craft. The ring is very masculine and will be a highly noticeable wardrobe addition.  US Size 9 3/4

• UK Size T 1/2    more roman rings
• Ref 1838
• £90.00

Egyptian Goddess Ma'at Seal As A Ring - Rare Find

Period Old Kingdom. Material Hard stone. Measurements 2.6 x 2.6 Cm.

Ma'at was the goddess of the physical and moral law of Egypt, of order and truth. She said to be the wife of Thoth and had eight children with him. The most important of her children was Amon. These eight were the chief gods of Hermopolis and according to the priests there, they created the earth and all that is in it. Ma'at is depicted in the form of a woman seated or standing. She holds the sceptre in one hand and the ankh in the other.

A symbol of Ma'at was the ostrich feather and she is always shown wearing it in her hair. In some pictures she has a pair of wings attached to her arms. Occasionally she is shown as a woman with an ostrich feather for a head. Another symbol of Ma'at is the primeval mound upon which the creator god stood at the beginning of time. It was when the world was created and chaos was eliminated that the principles of Ma'at were set in place. The Egyptians believed that if the pharaoh ever failed to live by and maintain Ma'at that chaos would return to Egypt and the world and all would be destroyed. Thus, the pharaohs of Egypt saw it as their cosmic role to uphold the principles of Ma'at, and were due to Ma'at that the pharaohs had the authority to rule the land. Amenhotep stated that Ma'at was placed upon his breast by Amon himself. Akhenaten, the "heretic" king who was accused of deviating from her laws by his successors, repeatedly emphasized his adherence to Ma'at on many of his monuments. When the dead were judged, it is the feather of Ma'at that their hearts were weighed against. If hearts of the deceased are as "light as a feather", they were granted eternal life in the Duat.

The near-weightlessness of their hearts indicated that their souls were not burdened with sin and evil. If their hearts did not "measure up", the soul of the deceased was consumed by Ammut. This judgment occurred in the "Hall of the Two Truths", Maaty. The last role of Ma'at was to help guide the Sun-god Re as he made his journey across the skies. It was she that determined the course that his boat took across the sky each day. It was sometimes said that she actually traveled in his boat with him, guiding its direction. Seal A seal is an instrument of stone, metal or other hard substance (sometimes set in a ring), on which is engraved some device or figure, and is used for making an impression on some soft substance, as clay or wax, affixed to a document or other object, in token of authenticity. The use of seals goes back to a very remote antiquity, especially in Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria. Herodotus records the Babylonian custom of wearing signets. In Babylonia the seal generally took the form of a cylinder cut in crystal or some hard stone, which was bored through from end to end and a cord passed through it. The design, often accompanied by the owner's name, was engraved on the curved part. The signet was then suspended by the cord round the neck or waist upon thy heart.... Upon thine arm, one seal hanging down from the neck and another round the waist; In Egypt, too, as in Babylonia, the cylinder was the earliest form used for the purpose of a seal; but this form was in Egypt gradually superseded by the scarab (= beetle-shaped) as the prevailing type.

Other forms, such as the cone-shaped, were also in use. From the earliest period of civilization the finger-ring on which some distinguishing badge was engraved was in use as a convenient way of carrying the signet, the earliest extant rings being those found in Egyptian tombs. Other ancient peoples, such as the Phoenicians, also used seals. From the East the custom passed into Greece and other western countries. Devices of a variety of sorts were in use at Rome, both by the emperors and by private individuals. In ancient times, almost every variety of precious stones was used for seals, as well as cheaper material, such as limestone or terra-cotta. The word "seal," both substantive and verb, is often used figuratively for the act or token of authentication, confirmation, proof, security or possession. The seal itself was made from hard stone, glass or Egyptian faience. Many varieties of material such as hematite, obsidian, steatite, amethyst and carnelian were used to make cylinder seals, but lapis lazuli was especially popular because of the beauty of the blue stone. Graves and other sites hoarding precious items such as gold, silver, beads, and gemstones often included one or two cylinder seals. Cylinder seals are a form of impression seal, a category which includes the stamp seal and finger ring.

• UK Size T 1/2    more miscellaneous items
• Ref 1844
• SOLD

Roman Copper Ring LEGION STAR CROSS

This ring features a superior bezel design. The octagon bezel measures 16mm X 14mm. The whole bezel was expertly detailed in it's design and the crisp edges of the octagon are carried along onto the sides and the shoulders have an excellent detail of shoulder tabs which extend to cover the sides of the band and slope away from the bezel at a 30 degree angle which gives the ring that distinctive "Roman" look. There is a large "Diamond Star-Cross" design on the bezel.

Each shoulder tab has a nice outline to it with a six-pointed star inside it. Even the sides of the sloping shoulders are perfectly decorated with infilled scallops. The design is expertly done and quite symmetrical. The band of this ring is completely round and solid. There is even a blade nick on the back of the band which adds some character to this Gem. These designs were used for centuries before the cross was adopted as a symbol of the Early Christian church.  US size 8 1/2.

• UK Size Q
• Ref 1843
• SOLD

Roman Bronze Ring LEGION X VEXILLIUM WAR BANNER

This ring was found at a Roman site in Ancient Thrace and dates from the 1st Century BC. This ring features a 17mm X 14mm oval bezel that sits atop a solid band with beautiful colour and shine. The bezel also has a nice edge decoration of many small hash-marks which covers most of the sides of the bezel edge

The bezel engraving is of a "VEXILLIUM" or "War Banner" which was affixed to the standard pole of the legion. Where most of these "Vexillium" designs are plain, this example has some linear decorations inside of the banner. There is also a small "X" right in the cenrtr of the banner which could be a reference to the 10th Legio / Legio X . For a Legionary to be able to carry his Legion's standard into battle was one of the most sought after honours amongst Rome's soldiers. US Size 6 3/4 to 7

• UK Size O
• Ref 1840
• £60.00

Large ANCIENT MEDIEVAL ROMAN GOLD RING 22k-24k 10gm Ring with 100BC polychrome striated bead

Beautiful and very very rare Medieval/Renaissance to Baroque era Pure Gold Ring with a Stunning Greco-Phoenician Striated Polychrome bead.

During the Islamic/Medieval era, these beads were discovered during construction projects and set into the finest gold rings. Only a small amount exist (one of two large hoards auctioned in Europe some decades ago). The ancients set these beautiful polychrome beads into rings to celebrate their culture and history. Typically only the most wealthy were the ones to own rings of this calibre. This is a rare find, indeed!

Size: 8.5 US/18.5mm

Provenance: Francis LeBaron Antiquities Gallery via Bellingham's (origin-Mideast within international and US embargo laws) *Details on Certificate*

Material:10.14g 22k-24k Gold (tested beyond 21-our equip doesn't define over21k ), polychrome striated glass bead

Period:1550-1790 Medieval/Renaissance-Baroque Ring, Greco-Phoenician Polychrome striated glass bead 100BC-300BC

Condition:Fully restored & polished in detail (both ring & bead); excellent condition considering age (see photos)

From a Middle Eastern Museum Collection hailing from the Francis LeBaron Gallery via Bellingham's

Polychrome Greco-Phoenician Glass bead!

Thick, Pure Gold High Grade Ring Highly Sought by Collectors of Unusual Antiquities Rings of this calibre regularly command $2200-$3000 in recent worldwide well known auction venues Ornate details

A NICE ADDITION TO YOUR COLLECTION!

• UK Size R    more gold rings
• Ref 1846
• £1,080.00

CELTIC BRONZE PAGAN TEAR RING

This ring dates from around 400 - 300 BC. The "Pagan Tear" shaped table bezel measures a whopping 17mm X 18mm, as well as the raised, round escutcheons on the shoulders . There is a nice design on this rings bezel. The bezel has a very deep design incised into it. The central design is the "Fertility Pine Cone" that we see on quite a lot of jewellery from the period. This pine cone sits inside of a nice 4-pointed Star that is surrounded by four "branch" type designs. The band is thick and strong with a sloping flange under the table of the bezel which adds a decorative element to the ring but also strengthens it. US size 10 or 10 1/4

• UK Size U    more celtic rings
• Ref 1835
• £135.00

Roman Bronze Seal Ring

Empire, 1st - 3rd c. AD. Bronze seal ring.

Oval bezel with depiction of Winged Victory right. Goddesses of Victory that presided over all athletic and military contests. Usually they were winged and carried a wreath or palm branch.

US Size 5-1/4. Found in the Balkans.

• UK Size K    more roman rings
• Ref 1850
• £39.00

ROMAN SILVER RING - unpolished

Roman Empire, 1st - 3rd c. AD. Silver ring. US Size 9-1/4. Found in the Balkans

• UK Size K    more silver rings
• Ref 1852
• £59.00

CELTIC BRONZE RING with Celtic Magic Swirl

This ring was found at a site in Ancient Thrace where the Celtic tribes held sway until they were subdued by the Romans. This ring dates from between 300BC and 100AD. This fine ring features a 19mm X 11mm eye-shaped bezel which is quite thick. The bezel has the "opposing swirl" engraved upon it as well as some more accent lines and a nice outlining design.

These swirl designs were quite popular among the Ancient Celts and figured heavily in a lot of their decorative work. If you look closely, you will see that the basic design looks like the Greek "wave" keywork borders that we see on a lot of ancient pottery and in mosaics. The Celts were heavily influenced by the Greeks and adopted a lot of their stylistic motifs into their own craftwork. This ring is in extremely fine condition for being of such a great age.  This ring is right around a US size 8 1/2 which will make it perfect for the Celtic Lady or a smaller gentleman who has wanted one of these beauties in their collection. This size as well as the excellent features of this ring will make for a perfect example and will make great and noticeable ring for the avid collector.

• UK Size Q    more celtic rings
• Ref 1833
• SOLD