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A GOLD ‘DEATH’ RING WITH LEAD GLASS CABOCHON, ANCIENT KINGDOMS OF CHAM, CIRCA 9TH-10TH CENTURY
奥地利
2024年10月18日 开拍
拍品描述
A GOLD ‘DEATH’ RING WITH LEAD GLASS CABOCHON, ANCIENT KINGDOMS OF CHAM, CIRCA 9TH-10TH CENTURY

Vietnam. The ring features a white agate cabochon secured by two sturdy gold brackets, flanked by smaller garnet cabochons. Finely chased vines encircle the design within delicately beaded borders, with fierce Kāla masks on either side.

Expert’s note:
Kāla, the personification of time and destroyer of all things, is a god of death, often invoked as an epithet for Yama. In Shaivism, Kāla manifests as Shiva’s fiery avatar, Kāla Bhairava or Kalagni Rudra, while in Vaishnavism, he is associated with Narasimha and Pralaya. The term Kālá, when applied to deities, frequently merges with Kāla, meaning 'black.' This death ring was crafted to commemorate the deceased and worn by a family member in remembrance, with the white stone symbolizing the void left by their passing.

Scientific Analysis Report: A report from the Natural History Museum, Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien), signed by HR Dr. Vera M. F. Hammer and Dr. Wencke Wagner, dated 11 September 2024, confirms that the central cabochon is of lead glass while the two smaller stones are zircons. A copy of the report accompanies this lot.

Provenance: From a French private estate.
Condition: Good condition with expected ancient wear, soil encrustations from an extended period of burial, some tarnishing, minor dents and losses, the stones with natural imperfections.

Weight: 12.6 g
Dimensions: Width 3.5 cm

Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Glasses with lead oxide content first appeared in Mesopotamia, the birthplace of the glass industry. The earliest known example is a blue glass fragment from Nippur dated to 1400 BC. In China, lead glass first occurred during the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), where it was cast to imitate jade, both for ritual objects such as big and small figures, as well as jewelry and a limited range of vessels. Champa, known for its rich maritime trade, was a cultural crossroads between India, China, and Southeast Asia. By the 1st millennium AD, it had become a hub for the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies. Recent archaeological findings on Cham Island show that glass reached Champa from West Asia around the 9th century via the Silk Road. However, it is plausible that lead glass arrived in Champa from China as part of the luxury items exchanged during this period, as Chinese merchants in particular played a significant role in Champa’s economy.

Literature comparison:
Compare two closely related gold rings with similar repoussé work, 3.5 cm and 3.1 cm wide, dated c. 10th century, illustrated by Janos Jelen et al., Gold Treasures of the Cham Kingdoms from the Collection of Dr. Zelnik, Volume 1, Budapest, 2007, pp. 99 & 100, nos. 42 and 44.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 11 April 2024, lot 199
Price: EUR 2,340
Description: A gold ring with a ruby, Cham period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related repoussé work with similar kala masks and beading. Note the different stones as well as the size (2.9 cm)

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拍品估价:500 - 1,000 欧元 起拍价格:500 欧元  买家佣金:

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