Antique 22ct Yellow Gold Intaglio Ring with Egyptian God

Antique 22ct Yellow Gold Intaglio Ring with Egyptian God

A unique, one-of-a-kind, Victorian 22ct yellow gold intaglio ring set with a hematite stone engraved with the Egyptian God Anubis.

The carved hematite stone depicts Egyptian God Anubis.
Been tested positive for 22ct gold.
Shank has been added later.

Dimensions –
Ring Size: Length x Width x depth: 3.7 x 2.7 x 0.7 cm
Hematite stone size: Length x Width: 2.5 x 1.8 cm
Finger Size: Finger Size (UK) = N(EU) = 54 (US) = 7
Weight : 66 grams

Condition: Pre-owned, minor signs of usage and age, some residues in carving , otherwise very good overall condition.

PROVENANCE: This ring came from the private collection of late Naim Attallah, CBE. London.

Anubis or Inpu, Anpu in Ancient Egyptian is the Greek name of the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head. Archaeologists have identified Anubis’s sacred animal as an Egyptian canid, the African golden wolf. The African wolf was formerly called the “African golden jackal”, until a 2015 genetic analysis updated the taxonomy and the common name for the species.

As a result, Anubis is often referred to as having a “jackal” head, but this “jackal” is now more properly called a “wolf”.

Like many ancient Egyptian deities, Anubis assumed different roles in various contexts. Depicted as a protector of graves as early as the First Dynasty (c. 3100 – c. 2890 BC), Anubis was also an embalmer. By the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BC) he was replaced by Osiris in his role as lord of the underworld. One of his prominent roles was as a god who ushered souls into the afterlife. He attended the weighing scale during the “Weighing of the Heart”, in which it was determined whether a soul would be allowed to enter the realm of the dead.

Despite being one of the most ancient and “one of the most frequently depicted and mentioned gods” in the Egyptian pantheon, Anubis played almost no role in Egyptian myths.

PROVENANCE: This ring came from the private collection of late Naim Attallah, CBE. London.

Naim Ibrahim Attallah CBE was a Christian Palestinian-British businessman and writer. He was the publisher of Quartet Books and the owner of The Women’s Press. The Palestinian-born entrepreneur was described by The Guardian in 2000 as a “legendary adorer of beautiful women”.

Attallah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to literature and the arts.