You are considering a Bronze Age Masterpiece in ancient jewellery. This is a decorated bronze European Bronze Age coiled Snake Ring dating to around 1000 - 800 BC. It enjoys a rich green patina; found near the river Danube in Germany, many years ago.
De-accessioned from an important German private collection and obtained from an auction house in Munich, it is by far the best bronze age coiled bronze ring of its type that we have ever seen. It has its coils taperted into points at the ends to signify the snake's head and tail. It has to be remembered that during this period in antiquity, the manufacturing of bronze had just been discovered, and the alloy was very valuable. To the people's of the bronze age, bronze would probably have been as valuable to them as gold is to us!
Items of this calibre are near impossible to obtain as the majority are to be found in state museums. This artefact has been de-accessioned from an old German collection and we are very privileged to have been given the opportunity to offer it.
Provenance: Found near water in the tributaries of the river Danube in West Germany. Via German auction house in Munich.
The jewel is unrestored and uncleaned.
The intricate construction represents a coiled Snake. The latter were revered and respected in bronze age Europe.
This masterpiece Ring could have been deliberately and ceremonially taken off and flung into the Danube river in antiquity following ritual human sacrifice, to honour the gods.
A true museum quality masterpiece!
In antiquity such a jewel would have been owned by high nobility; then, probably worth as much as a quality sports car today!
The new owner would be advised to publish this masterpiece and take it to his or her nearest state museum where it can be recorded into the archaeological literature.
Length of ring: 7/8 inches.
Size: US 9-10; UK S-T.
This is a highly wearable ring, with care.
Weight 15.9 g.
The date of manufacture of this ring is the Bronze Age some 1200 to 800 BC. Our early western European Ancestors believed in powerful Water Spirits and Human Sacrifice. Humans, often enemies, but on occasions respected local noblemen, were sacrificed in a ritual fashion near the water to upease the Gods or to ask for a favour to be granted. Often after the sacrifice, the high priests or druids, used to ceremoniously fling superb artifacts and swords into the water - intact or deliberately fractured - as part of the sacrifice ritual, as a further offering to the Gods. Hence the fact that these precious objects have often been retrieved from near fresh water.
For more literature on this subject please consult:
Art of the Celts by Lloyd and Jennifer Laing, ISBN Number: 0500202567.
I only sell genuine fully guaranteed ancient art. If an expert ever desputes authenticity of this piece, I shall refund you in full.
This is a no reserve auction commencing at less than 1 dollar!
Please note that all auctions ending over the weekend will be dealt with over the next 2 working days.
Please note that this description as well as the images are copyright © artifactsuk.
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