Ring with the goddess Athena and Nike. Ancient Roman, 3rd century AD. Gold and Garnet. 2.5 cm high, 1.8 cm inner diameter and 4.36 g in weight. CONDITION: Good condition. Intact. PROVENANCE: - Private collection, Connecticut, USA, 1980. - Private collection, Chicago, USA, until 2024. DESCRIPTION: Solid gold ring with a half-round band that widens towards the front to form a large oval setting that holds a garnet cabochon decorated with a cut. The stone, in a closed setting, is framed by a flat moulding that protrudes from the relief of the setting. The garnet features a cut parallel to the band, depicting Athena Nicephorus or Athena Victorious: Athena, the Roman Minerva, appears standing in profile to the left, dressed in a tunic, with a helmet and shield at her feet, holding in her right hand a small Nike, the Roman Victory, who extends her arms towards her. This iconography, originating in Greece, would continue to be used for the representation of the Roman Minerva, who would even come to be identified with Nike in the figure of Minerva-Victoria, combining the iconography of both goddesses in one. A ring of similar theme and type is preserved in London, with Minerva Victorious and a moulding surrounding the profile of the setting, although it uses flat chalcedony instead of garnet cabochon and the ring is not solid but forged, made from gold sheet (fig. 1). The bezel ring with a set stone arrived in Rome via Greece and is one of the most common types of Roman jewellery, whether with a smooth stone or decorated with carvings (intaglio) or cameos (relief carving). Structurally, the type of ring represented by the piece under study, with a band that widens to form the bezel, in a single piece, is the oldest formula, directly inherited from Greek models (fig. 2). Over time, other types were developed with decorated or thinner bands, and with the bezel worked separately and then soldered to the band. Given the Roman taste for glyptics, the settings of these rings were often much larger than in their Greek predecessors, thus allowing for more elaborate ornamental work. Carvings and cameos, whether set in jewellery or as separate pieces, were highly prized by Roman citizens, and today we have evidence of large collections belonging to patrician families. Since ancient times, the world of jewellery has been linked to a certain status. Both men and women liked to surround themselves with luxury and make use of precious materials. However, while men incorporated it into their everyday lives, for example in the decoration of their homes, women were the only ones who wore jewellery, with the exception of a ring in the case of men. Roman jewellery reached a level of development never seen before and not surpassed until the Renaissance. Imperial Rome was the world centre of jewellery, importing large quantities of precious stones and materials. The initial style of their work was typically Greek or Etruscan, but they soon developed their own style, which was ornate and ostentatious, with precious stone settings, opus interassile, a veritable mosaic of small stones on a gold or silver backing. Another speciality of Roman jewellery was gem cutting, with its highly prized carvings, incisions and bas-reliefs, and above all its cameos, carved from agate and onyx, stones with layers of different colours which, once polished, produced an effect of depth and polychromy. Their main themes were portraits. BIBLIOGRAPHY: - MARSHALL, F. H. Jewellery. Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum. British Museum Publications. 1911. - OGDEN, J. Ancient Jewellery. British Museum Press. 1992. - WILLIAMS, D.; OGDEN, J. Jewelry of the Classical World. Metropolitan Museum of New York. 1994. PARALLELS: Fig. 1 Ring with Athena Nicephorus engraving. Roman Empire, 1st century BC – 2nd century AD. Gold and chalcedony, 1.2 x 2.4 cm. British Museum, London, inv. 1896,1016.4. Fig. 2 Ring with Athena Pallas engraving. Greece, 5th century BC. Gold and garnet, 1.6 x 2.4 cm. Dayton Art Institute, USA, inv. 1942.124.38. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) - If the piece is destined outside the European Union a substitution of the export permit should be requested, can take between 1-2 weeks maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.