Ave!
Copper
alloy; 4.7gm, Ring size 10 1/4
In the photos, the
engraved image of the infant
Jupiter, on a raised three-tiered bezel, can be clearly seen in the photo. Whether is was a personal signet used to seal letters and documents is moot.
Just in case your not familiar with Greek/Roman
mythology,
Amalthea was the she-goat nurse of the god
Zeus (
Roman Jupiter) who nourished him with milk in a cave on Mount Dikte (Dicte) in Krete (
Crete). When the god reached maturity he created
his thunder-shield (the aigis) from her hide and the horn of
plenty (
cornucopia or keras amaltheias) from her crown. According to some Amaltheia was a nymph rather than a
goat. Amaltheia was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Capra--the stellar group surrounding Capella on the
arm (ô
lenê) of the Auriga the Charioteer. The "
goat on the
arm" no doubt represented the stormy aigis-shield of
Zeus which in classical art was sometimes depicted as a tasselled hide slung across
his arm. The rising of Capella marked the onset of stormy weather for the
Greeks. The word aigis means both "stormy weather" and "goat-skin" in ancient Greek which explains the close connection between the two in myth.
We've seen the same image on Greek/Roman coins but never on a ring. Extremely
rare? You tell me, please.
Also seen below are photos of
Jupiter riding
Amalthea stuck on
Roman coins.
Best regards,
Kevin