Chemical Composition: XRF data from Tracer
Alloy: Brass
Alloying Elements: copper, zinc
Other Elements: lead, iron
Comments: The ring is set with a glass intaglio.
K. Eremin, January 2014
Technical Observations: The patinas of these rings (1986.548, 1986.549, 1986.550, and 1986.551) are green with spots of underlying red, and light brown burial accretions are present. The front surfaces of the glass intaglios are eroded and worn. The incised decoration on the front of 1986.551 is better preserved, but the ring is broken in two.
The copper alloy rings were cast. Cold work hammering has created faceting along the hoop of all the rings except 1986.549, which is smoothly rounded with no faceting. The bezels of 1986.548 and 1986.550 have thin sheets, hammered from the top surface of the ring, which come over the top of the intaglio to secure it. 1986.549 and 1986.550 do not have thin sheets. The walls of the bezel cavity appear to hold the sides of the intaglios. No resin for holding the intaglios in place was found. The glass of 1986.550 is an opaque blue, and a fragment of gold foil (2 x 3 mm) covers the surface of one of the valleys in the carved relief. The glass of the other rings is a transparent amber color.
Henry Lie (submitted 2012)
