HEAVY ROMAN CARNELIAN INTAGLIO DEPICTING EMPRESS OR MATRONA IN AN OPENWORK HIGH KARAT GOLD RING Ca. AD 200 - 300. A carnelian intaglio finely engraved with a right-facing bust, possibly depicting Empress or matrona. Her hair is arranged in thick, waved locks drawn back from the brow and gathered into a braided chignon. Facial features include deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, a small mouth, and a slightly upturned chin. The intaglio is mounted in a bezel framed by an openwork gold setting with triangular side panels with circular cells, some of which still retain inlays. The hoop broadens at the shoulders into a series of leaf-like forms that continue around the back. For similar see: Bagot J., El legado de Hefesto: A Memorial to a Private Collection of Ancient Rings and Glyptics, n. 326. Size: D:19.35mm / US: 9 1/2 / UK: S 1/2; Weight: 18.47g Provenance: Private London collection; previously in a 1990s UK collection of Ancient Art. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. Reviewed by Sami Fortune, an ancient jewellery specialist.