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An unusual antique Egyptian Revival gold swivel ring, probably made in France, circa 1900.
The figural ring features motifs and designs inspired by the rings worn by ancient Egyptians found in archaeological digs, namely the swivel bezel which features a scarab beetle. Just like the original Egyptian scarabs, the underside is engraved with hieroglyphic inscriptions which would have served as an auspicious saying or signature. The shoulders take the form of two sphinxes; mythical creatures with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Egyptian mythology, sphinxes were thought of as guardians, and statues of them often flank the entrances to temples.
UK size M 1/2, US size 6.5, the ring weighs 10.07g. The rotating scarab measures 11mm x 8mm, and the height of each sphinx is 13mm. The band measures 3mm across at the very back. The gold ring is unmarked but tests as 14K gold.
In ancient Egypt, scarabs became very popular as protective amulets and portable personal seals. Regularly found in ancient Egyptian jewellery, they were worn as symbols of good luck and regarded as sacred. The scarab was also a symbol of immortality and resurrection, often employed in a funerary context and made for use in burials. They are amongst the most numerous of all Ancient Egyptian artefacts and were mostly made from steatite, ceramic, or carved into semi-precious stones like amethyst. These artefacts have been collected for centuries and were particularly prized and sought after in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The findings from Napoleon’s campaigns to Egypt in the 19th century gave birth to significant interest in Egyptology across Europe. This interest extended to the decorative arts, where Egyptian motifs like obelisks, sphinxes, scarabs and lotus flowers were popular. When the British opened the Suez Canal in 1869, a renewed wave of Egyptomania arose resulting in a large number of Egyptian style jewellery made throughout the late 19th century. Rings from this period were decorated with classic Egyptian motifs such as the lotus plant, hieroglyphics, and excavated scarabs.
An unusual antique Egyptian Revival gold swivel ring, probably made in France, circa 1900.
The figural ring features motifs and designs inspired by the rings worn by ancient Egyptians found in archaeological digs, namely the swivel bezel which features a scarab beetle. Just like the original Egyptian scarabs, the underside is engraved with hieroglyphic inscriptions which would have served as an auspicious saying or signature. The shoulders take the form of two sphinxes; mythical creatures with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Egyptian mythology, sphinxes were thought of as guardians, and statues of them often flank the entrances to temples.
UK size M 1/2, US size 6.5, the ring weighs 10.07g. The rotating scarab measures 11mm x 8mm, and the height of each sphinx is 13mm. The band measures 3mm across at the very back. The gold ring is unmarked but tests as 14K gold.
In ancient Egypt, scarabs became very popular as protective amulets and portable personal seals. Regularly found in ancient Egyptian jewellery, they were worn as symbols of good luck and regarded as sacred. The scarab was also a symbol of immortality and resurrection, often employed in a funerary context and made for use in burials. They are amongst the most numerous of all Ancient Egyptian artefacts and were mostly made from steatite, ceramic, or carved into semi-precious stones like amethyst. These artefacts have been collected for centuries and were particularly prized and sought after in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The findings from Napoleon’s campaigns to Egypt in the 19th century gave birth to significant interest in Egyptology across Europe. This interest extended to the decorative arts, where Egyptian motifs like obelisks, sphinxes, scarabs and lotus flowers were popular. When the British opened the Suez Canal in 1869, a renewed wave of Egyptomania arose resulting in a large number of Egyptian style jewellery made throughout the late 19th century. Rings from this period were decorated with classic Egyptian motifs such as the lotus plant, hieroglyphics, and excavated scarabs.
The figural ring features motifs and designs inspired by the rings worn by ancient Egyptians found in archaeological digs, namely the swivel bezel which features a scarab beetle. Just like the original Egyptian scarabs, the underside is engraved with hieroglyphic inscriptions which would have served as an auspicious saying or signature. The shoulders take the form of two sphinxes; mythical creatures with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Egyptian mythology, sphinxes were thought of as guardians, and statues of them often flank the entrances to temples.
UK size M 1/2, US size 6.5, the ring weighs 10.07g. The rotating scarab measures 11mm x 8mm, and the height of each sphinx is 13mm. The band measures 3mm across at the very back. The gold ring is unmarked but tests as 14K gold.
In ancient Egypt, scarabs became very popular as protective amulets and portable personal seals. Regularly found in ancient Egyptian jewellery, they were worn as symbols of good luck and regarded as sacred. The scarab was also a symbol of immortality and resurrection, often employed in a funerary context and made for use in burials. They are amongst the most numerous of all Ancient Egyptian artefacts and were mostly made from steatite, ceramic, or carved into semi-precious stones like amethyst. These artefacts have been collected for centuries and were particularly prized and sought after in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The findings from Napoleon’s campaigns to Egypt in the 19th century gave birth to significant interest in Egyptology across Europe. This interest extended to the decorative arts, where Egyptian motifs like obelisks, sphinxes, scarabs and lotus flowers were popular. When the British opened the Suez Canal in 1869, a renewed wave of Egyptomania arose resulting in a large number of Egyptian style jewellery made throughout the late 19th century. Rings from this period were decorated with classic Egyptian motifs such as the lotus plant, hieroglyphics, and excavated scarabs.
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