RARE JAVANESE GOLD RING WITH SRI MOTIF

Ca. AD 800 - 1200. A 21.5 ct gold ring with a round band, expanding at the shoulders and a large bezel engraved with a script motif known as the Sri. The inscription represents the goddess of the same name. Sri was revered as a deity of fertility, prosperity, and abundance, and thus wearing a ring depicting this motif was believed to guarantee auspiciousness. For similar see: Sotheby's, MAGNIFICENT LUSTRE SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOLD JEWELLERY AND ORNAMENTS FROM AN ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION, Auction 1 - 8 September 2022, n. 31. This piece has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements. Size: D:15.29mm / US: 4 1/4 / UK: I; Weight: 10g Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.