Roman Key Ring with Inscription

Unknown

4th century · Gold · Medieval Art

Surviving images of rings and their wearers offer a window into the personal values and beliefs of premodern peoples. Here, finger rings are paired with portraits in which rings play a prominent role in the imagery of personal identity. By considering who wore rings and why, we develop an appreciation of the meanings attached to these objects and the many contexts in which they appear from antiquity through the early modern period.

Artist

Unknown

Date

4th century

Medium

Gold

Culture

Byzantine

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Gift of Taylor L. Thomson, 2016