AN ANCIENT GOLD AND GLASS ‘APSARA, GARUDA AND NAGA’ RING, ANGKOR PERIOD Khmer Empire, 9th century. Finely worked, the dark green glass inlay enclosed in a lotus blossom supported by two apsaras standing amid swirling clouds, flanked by nagas above Garuda heads. Provenance: From the private collection of Darwin Freeman, collected between 1968 and 1971, and thence by descent within the same family. Born 1946 in Idaho, USA, Darwin Freeman was a member of the armed forces and later became an avid collector. He met his wife in the mid-1960s, and the pair later relocated to her hometown of Innsbruck, Austria. In 1967, Freeman was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Germany and Thailand. While he was stationed at the Embassy in Bangkok, between 1969 and 1971, he actively began engaging in the exploration and collection of ancient bronzes and other works of art. Upon completing his duty, Freeman arranged for his collection to be shipped to Austria, where it remained in storage until this day. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age, with wear, manufacturing irregularities, tiny dents, and some soil encrustations, likely from a prolonged period of burial. Weight: 27.2 g Dimensions: Width 3.6 cm Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28 July 2021, lot 1015 Price: HKD 214,200 or approx. EUR 26,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gold and agate ‘Apsara and Makara’ ring, Khmer, Angkor period, 9th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the smaller size (2.2 cm).