Roman Bronze Seal Ring | Engraved Centaur Archer Bezel

Roman, Imperial period. A Roman finger ring of leaded bronze with a slender hoop that broadens toward a flat, pointed-oval bezel. A centaur is cut into the bezel in mid-stride: the human torso rises at the left and the equine body stretches across the field, its hind legs bent to push off. The pose and a few linear marks near the upper body may show the creature holding a bow and arrow. This would put him in the familiar archer type, though wear makes the reading uncertain. Faint marks along the upper edge may be a border or traces of further detail. Bezels of this kind were often used as personal seals or emblems, pressing the owner's chosen device into wax or clay. Here that device is a hybrid creature famous for both wildness and wisdom. The alloy contains up to 6% lead, and the surface has a dark, even patina. Centaurs had a double reputation in Greco-Roman thought. Most were remembered for the drunken brawl at the wedding of Pirithous, a stock image of disorder. Chiron, by contrast, was the wise teacher of Achilles, Asclepius, and Jason. By the Roman period the centaur drawing a bow was also the established image of the constellation Sagittarius. If the figure here is an archer, the device may have carried astrological meaning for its wearer as well as mythological meaning. Please note that this ring contains up to 6% lead. Item # 159010

Estimate:£263.74

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