Museum snags Roman gold ring with chariot intaglio

An exceptional Roman gold ring with an intaglio stone depicting a winged Victory driving a two-horse chariot has been acquired by the South West Heritage Trust and will become part of the permanent collection at The Museum of Somerset.

The ring is heavy at 48 grams and is decorated with abstract openwork patterns, niello enamel and an ovoid intaglio nicolo. The gold openwork hoop that has two sharp angles at the bottom known as keels with flat sides leading up to rounded shoulders. The openwork designs are peltas (crescent shapes). Each shoulder has a triangular panel infilled with an abstract motif in niello.

The intaglio is set in an oval bezel with indented edges that make it look like a decorative frame. The nicolo intaglio is a grey-blue color against a black background. A two-horse chariot (a biga) is driven by a winged Victory wearing a helmet. She wields a whip in her left hand and holds the reins in her right. The horses are captured rearing up on their hind legs as they spring forward. The horses are finely detailed, with delicately carved reins, harnesses and manes. Compare the detail on the horses and their driver to the much rougher carving on the ancient intaglio in the medieval seal found in Essex last year.

The ring was discovered by a metal detectorist near Ilminster, South Somerset, in 2018. The Trust was able to acquire the Ilminster Ring and a hoard of 297 Roman coins also found at the site for the assessed value of £78,010 thanks to grants and donations from the public. It’s going on a community engagement tour this summer, visiting primary schools and the Ilminster Arts Centre for Ilminster Ring Discovery Day.

“The Ilminster Ring is both large and heavy, with elaborate goldwork and a beautifully executed intaglio. While other examples are known, these elements combine to create a spectacular ring that is only paralleled by continental discoveries.

“Its discovery sheds light on how South Somerset’s Roman inhabitants navigated a period of unrest from 286–296. It is likely the ring was buried shortly after, in 297, as part of a hoard including coins, lead and pottery objects,” [said] Amal Khreisheh, Senior Curator at South West Heritage Trust.