CIRCA 3RD CENTURY A.D.

This unusual finger ring with a rectangular projection perpendicular to the hoop is known as a "key ring". Some examples, as here, have a solid, narrow hoop with pierce-work ornament confined to the projection, while others, with wider hoops, have pierce-work ornament throughout. The present example has a fluted hoop, with the projection cast in the form of two heraldic panthers flanking a krater. For a related example see the ring in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier, no. 335 in A. Yeroulanou, Diatrita: Gold Pierced-Work Jewellery from the 3rd to the 7th Century.