Gold ring with grapes and a cabochon garnet. Merovingian, 6th century AD.

A gold ring decorated with grapes and set with a cabochon garnet.

Merovingian, 6th century AD.

Ring size P UK / 7.5 US.

Weighs 4.9 grams.

The ring is of hollow construction, the shoulders decorated with abundant grape vines, the high fluted bezel is decorated with a claw setting surrounding a rub-over set cabochon garnet.

Provenance: Private English Collection.

A ring with similar decoration can be found in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris, Numéro principal : SAINT-GERMAIN 24573.

A further ring for comparison was sold by Sotheby’s, London, Old Master Sculpture & Works of Art, 2 July 2019, Lot 2.

The British Museum has a ring in their collection (Registration number 1772,0314.51) with grape vine decoration to it’s shoulders and set with a garnet cabochon, they have dated this to the 3rd century AD, also a pendant (Registration number 1872,0604.1058.1) dated to the 1st - 4th century AD.

Architectural rings like this with protruding bezels are typical of Merovingian manufacture of this period, the Metropolitan museum of art has a ring on loan from the Griffin collection also set with a high bezel and cabochon garnet (Accession Number: L.2015.72.7).

Links:

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010115502

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/old-master-sculpture-works-of-art/byzantine-circa-6th-century-ring

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1772-0314-51

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1872-0604-1058-1

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/661705