AN EGYPTIAN GOLD AND GARNET FINGER RING

PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.

Details

AN EGYPTIAN GOLD AND GARNET FINGER RING
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.
The hollow hoop flat on the interior, rounded on the exterior, the oval bezel set with a flat stone engraved with the crocodile god Sobek-Re in profile to the left, standing on a groundline, his head raised, crowned with a solar disk, his scales and other naturalistic details defined
¾ in. (1.9 cm.) wide; ring size 8½

Provenance

Private Collection, Switzerland, acquired in the 1920s.

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Lot Essay

The crocodile was revered in ancient Egypt as it was one of the most dangerous animals. It is most commonly associated with the deity Sobek, who adopts the reptile form, beginning in the Old Kingdom. The present example depicts Sobek-Re, a representation of the god in association with the cult of the sun, as evinced by the solar disk. For Sobek-Re see pp. 218-220 in Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.

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