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| Warrior Scarab Ring (about 325-300 BC) Taranto, Via Iapigia Gold, dark amber chalcedony, drilled, incised Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Taranto, inv. 54752 [Cat. no. 16] |
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Warrior Scarab Ring (about 325-300 BC)
The talented jewelers of Taranto were expert gem carvers and engravers. Frequently found in Tarentine tombs was the type of ring known as the scarab ring. A semi-precious stone, rounded on the top and flat on the underside, would be carved in the shape of a scarab beetle, an image familiar in the art of the ancient Egyptians. A drilled channel running through the stone would be threaded with gold or silver which would then be attached to a ring shank.This scarab ring is made of gold and amber-colored chalcydony. The details on the ring shank are fine in that they terminate on either side of the scarab in the form of lion heads. The motif of the wild animal is a favored one in jewelry from Taranto. On the underside of the scarab a striding warrior is rendered; a common theme on carved gems from this region, along with deities, animals and heroes from myth.
Page 2 of 23 | On the next page: Cylinder Seal Necklace (about 500-400 BC)