Ring (Main View (.1), crop from R980720.0027)

A carnelian intaglio of a woman's head set in an oval bezel decorates this Late Roman ring. The intaglio, which is older than the setting, was reused from an earlier period. Triangles composed of beads of gold granulation cover the join of the bezel and the shank or hoop of the ring. Elaborate beaded joins became popular in the late 300s A.D. The flat, slightly curved form of the shank is somewhat unusual, since Late Roman rings usually have a round or filigreed shank. This ring and the others from the hoard are all about the same size and appear to come from one workshop.