Engraved gem set into a ring

The figure on this gem depicts a sphinx, a mythical hybrid creature with an animal's body and a human head. In this case, the sphinx is winged and female, with the head and breasts of a woman and the body of a lioness, including prominent udders.

Commonly represented in ancient art, sphinxes were popular figures, owing to their exotic appearance and their role as protective spirits, especially as guardians in cemeteries. Today, the most famous sphinx is the Great Sphinx of Egypt, the monumental stone sculpture that stands as a sentinel before the pyramid tombs of the Old Kingdom pharaohs. Unlike the sphinx on this gem, the Great Sphinx is male, with the body of a lion and the head bearing a portrait of the pharaoh Khafre.

The gold ring into which this gem is set is modern.