Topaz ring stone
Unknown Artist
1st century BCE–3rd century CE
Medium
Beryl, yellow, or Topaz
Dimensions
Length: 9/16 in. (1.5 cm)
Classification
Gems
Culture & Period
Roman · Late Republican or Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of John Taylor Johnston, 1881
Accession Number
81.6.74
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite topaz ring stone, carved from yellow beryl or topaz, dates to the Late Republican or Imperial Roman period (1st century BCE–3rd century CE). Measuring just 9/16 inch (1.5 cm) in length, it exemplifies the ancient art of gem engraving, where skilled lapidaries incised intricate designs into hard, precious stones for use in signet rings or jewelry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Department, it entered the collection as a gift from John Taylor Johnston in 1881. Likely an intaglio depicting Hermes—the swift-footed messenger god of the Greeks, known t...