ANTIQUE EARLY MEDIEVAL BYZANTINE 6th CENTURY GOLD HARDSTONE MEDUSA CAMEO RING

Description

An incredible one-of-a-kind genuine early medieval gold ring from the Byzantine Empire, set with a fabulous natural hardstone cameo of Medusa.
She’s face-on as is usual with art of this age, and bears knotted snakes to her neck and wings to her head - enduring symbols of the Gorgon. It’s deeply carved into a single piece of natural banded hardstone that has superb colour grading, underlain with the lighter portion - this helps to frame the subject while keeping the face equally spaced. She’s set into a solid gold stirrup-shaped ring, beaded around the bezel and throughout the band, with two larger beads to the shoulders.
She’s highly reminiscent of the head of Medusa of the Basilica Cistern beneath the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, of a similar age. A true museum quality treasure of the ancients.
It dates from around the 6th century and is in surprisingly excellent condition throughout, with expected micro wear and a fleabite graze to her cheek, but no other no loss or damage. The band may have been re-set against the back of the head in the long past. It weighs 4.1 grams, the head measures 14 x 12 mm, and its ring size is 7.25 US / O ½ UK - not resizeable.
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