Getty Acquires Hellenistic Crystal Garden Ring – The

The J. Paul Getty Museum houses a masterpiece of Hellenistic period jewelry: an exquisite gold ring with a miniature gold and enamel garden scene engraved on a box-shaped bezel beneath a domed crystal cap. This ring, made around 150 BC, is in impeccable condition and is one of the finest surviving examples of late Hellenistic box bezel rings.

The bezel is oval in shape with gold beads surrounding the cabochon crystal. The size of the bezel is diamond-shaped and decorated with fine-grained beads. The bouquet features a large gold flower with a granular bead in the center, petals outlined in gold filigree, more granular on the broad leaves below the flower, filigree oak leaves and teal enamel decoration.

Two volutes with curled sides and flowers form the top of the hoop, connected to the bezel. The hoop is made of multiple strands of gold wire and is covered with a filigree design shaped like an eye or the knob of Hercules’ club. The base of the hoop has a small garnet cabochon set in a Hercules knot, and on each side there are ivy leaf-shaped inlays that once held gems but are now lost.

It was first published in 1912 in a catalog of the ring collection of the late Ernest Guilhou in Paris. It was sold at Sotheby’s in London in 1937 and less than a year later by a dealer in Lucerne. It subsequently passed through two different private collections and was sold at Christie’s in London in July this year by a descendant of the second collector. The presale estimate was £12,000 to £18,000 ($15,745 to $23,618), but the quality of the ring (and the Getty’s deep pockets) drove the bidding higher. The final sale price was £100,800 ($132,260).

The Getty Museum plans the first in-depth study of this extraordinary work.

Despite the technical sophistication of the rings, little research has been done on this specific type of ancient jewelry. The addition to the collection will enhance the museum’s ability to highlight the creative and innovative work of ancient craftsmen experimenting with precious materials, and will also enable the Getty to launch collaborative research programs into this special type of jewelry. It will be displayed at the Getty Villa along with similar items.