A Roman Gold and Agate Finger Ring, ca. 2nd century CE Seals - Cylinder Provenance: ex: Klassen Collection

Provenance: ex: Klassen Collection

pale green glaze well preserved

two amulets are almost always found together -- the carpenter's set square and the plummet

From a funerary relief

his predecessor

A Roman Gold and Agate Finger Ring, ca. 2nd century CE Seals - Cylinder Provenance: ex: Klassen Collectiona high karat gold hollow ring, the high bezel set with an agate intaglio with white inclusions that depicts the fertility god Priapus, shown in profile, with erect phallus and holding a long staff. In Greek mythology, Priapus was a fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens, and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical term priapism. He became a popular figure in Roman