An ancient intaglio of a lion

carved in a cabochon black and white layered sardonyx, depicting a male lion in profile standing on a ground line, the image located in a dark brown layer of the stone which the white layer beneath illuminating the image and framing it.

Mounted in a late 19th century yellow gold ring.

Aristotle describes the lion in his Historia Animalium as a ‘liberal, noble and generous’ creature. Associated with power, its ferocious nature was thought to protect the bearer from the Evil Eye.

£5,500