Ring bezel with scaraboid
Unknown Artist
Medium
Gold, sard
Dimensions
Other: 1/4 × 1/8 × 9/16 in. (0.7 × 0.4 × 1.4 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.4163
Art Historical Context
This delicate ring bezel with scaraboid, crafted from gleaming gold and sard (a reddish-brown chalcedony), exemplifies the exquisite jewelry of the ancient Mediterranean world. Measuring just a quarter-inch long, it once formed part of a finger ring, where the bezel—the setting that holds the scaraboid—would have showcased the carved stone seal. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art department part of the Cesn Collection (acquired 1874–76), this tiny artifact highlights the technical mastery of ancient goldsmiths and gem engravers. Scaraboids, mimicking the sacred sca...