{"product_id":"byzantine-gold-christ-icon-ring","title":"Gold Byzantine Ring with Saint","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-122baa6d-7fff-4972-4ac3-7055187d2e45\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWeight: 8.2 grams\u003cbr\u003eWidth: 21 cm \/ .82 in\u003cbr\u003eRing Size: 10.5 (US) \/ V (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Byzantine gold ring is dated to the 12th–14th centuries AD. While modest in overall form, it displays a high level of refinement and craftsmanship. The ring features a discoid bezel decorated with niello inlay, depicting a forward-facing bust of a nimbate saint—that is, a figure shown with a halo—flanked by two crosses.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAlthough a precise identification is difficult, the iconography suggests one of the apostles. The figure’s sparse hair and pronounced beard may point to St. Paul, who in late Roman and Byzantine artistic tradition is often represented as balding and bearded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSimilar examples can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Catalogue Number: L.2015.72.49) and in the British Museum Collection (Catalogue Number: OA.6503). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA note on Niello jewelry: Niello is a decorative technique widely used in Byzantine jewelry in which a black metallic compound—typically a mixture of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur—is inlaid into engraved designs on a metal surface (usually gold or silver). Once heated and polished, the niello hardens and creates a striking black contrast against the surrounding metal, enhancing intricate patterns, inscriptions, or religious motifs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Marble Cliff","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47710378164362,"sku":"r_001","price":2950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0755\/6923\/4058\/files\/r_001_07.png?v=1771565894","url":"https:\/\/marblecliff.com\/products\/byzantine-gold-christ-icon-ring","provider":"Marble Cliff Antique Jewelry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}