198 - Byzantine Gold Ring Depicting the Virgin and Christ with Inscription. The Kal Noselson Byzantine Collection (Lots 197-221 & 1396-1447)

Byzantine Gold Ring Depicting the Virgin and Christ with Inscription. The Kal Noselson Byzantine Collection (Lots 197-221 & 1396-1447) Circa 7th century A.D. Thick flat-section hoop with incised legend '??IOC ??IOC ??IOC KYPIOC' (holy holy holy Lord); oblate bezel with Mary Theotokos and infant, flanked by crosses potent and feint Greek legend to the border 'K[.]?HI / [.]OCH?I'. Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 487, for type; Baldini Lippolis, I., L'Oreficeria nell'Impero di Costantinopoli tra IV e VII secolo (the Jewellery in the Empire of Constantinople between IV and VII century, in Italian), Bari, 1999, p.206, for the type, especially no.20. 8.09 grams, 20.91 mm overall, 17.83 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13) (3/4 in.). [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions Website] (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.) Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13416-259786. The ring belongs to the type of Eastern Roman band rings featuring a sheet-metal bezel, common between the 6th and 7th centuries. The inscription thrice Holy (*Aghios-Aghios-Aghios*) refers to the Cherubikon hymn, while the protective formula *K[YPIE] / [B]OH?I* .*?HI*. (Lord, help *?HI*) refers to the ring's owner. TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.