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The iconography of this unusual ring seems to derive from an ancient tradition in the Near East. It shows two stylized figures standing on either side of a tree, one apparently a bearded man and the other a woman. Such an image might represent two lovers, like the mythical Pyramus and Thisbe meeting in a grove, or Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Perhaps the ring was a token of affection or even betrothal long ago. Its exact meaning, like the identity of its ancient owner, remains a mystery. Yet, as we slip the ring onto our finger today, we communicate directly with the world of the past, with that vanished individual. - (Z.0547)
Antiquities
Ancient Near East
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