Byzantine Bronze Ring | Engraved Disc Bezel

拍品描述

Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine Empire, ca. 500–1000 CE. A cast leaded bronze finger ring whose broad round bezel still carries liberal remains of an engraved geometric design, its shallow lines softened by burial and long wear. The hoop rises from a narrow, gently tapering band to flared shoulders that meet the disc bezel in a single unbroken sweep, a profile favored by Byzantine metalsmiths working in copper alloy for a clientele well below the gold-wearing elite. Rings of this type served as personal seals and identity markers, the incised device pressed into wax or clay to authenticate a letter or secure a container. Surface tones range across olive, chocolate, and dark earth where cuprous corrosion has stabilized. The engraving is abstract rather than figural or monogrammatic, perhaps a stylized cruciform or radiating motif, though the wear resists confident reading. Size: 0.62" H x 1.1" Diam (1.6 cm H x 2.8 cm Diam). Metallurgical analysis reports a composition of approximately 76.8% copper, 11.4% lead, 6.9% tin, and 3.5% zinc, a heavily leaded bronze typical of mass-cast Byzantine personal ornament. Lead lowered the melting point and improved the flow of molten metal into small, detailed molds, which made intricate bezels achievable at low cost, but it also produced a softer, more brittle alloy than tin bronze alone. Please note that this ring contains 11.4% lead and is not recommended for wear. Copper-alloy signet rings circulated widely across the Byzantine world from Late Antiquity onward, worn by soldiers, merchants, clerics, and administrators. Their engraved devices ranged from monograms and crosses to invocations, saints, and, as here, purely geometric ornament, a vocabulary that outlived several centuries of stylistic change precisely because it needed only to be recognizable, not legible. SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item #204618

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