A gold ring from the cemetery of Sindos.

It was found on the right hand finger of the deceased (an adult male). It has a solid, flat, elliptical bezel with angulated edges and a thin horseshoe-shaped hoop, either initially open at the bottom or, more probably, later cut to fit in size.

It bears the inscription ΔΩΡΟΝ (gift), in the Ionic Greek alphabet. It is dated either around 475 BC or 450-420 BC and is one of the earliest rings with a donative inscription as well as one of the oldest inscriptions found in the wider region of Thessaloniki.

The plain yet elegant and peculiar shape of this ancient ring and the inscription that identifies it as a gift, ascribe to it a timeless aesthetic value, thus making it the inspiration of a modern copy made by the Archaeological Receipts Fund (ARF). The gold-plated silver copy constitutes a best-selling and very welcome contemporary gift

Dimensions:
Bezel 1.73 x 0.80 x 0.09 cm
Ring diam. 2.05 cm
Hoop diam. 0.12 cm

You can see the original ring at the permanent exhibition: Macedonia from the 7th century B.C. until the late Antiquity (case 16) and its modern copy made by the ARF at the temporary exhibition Copying (in) the past: Copying (in) the past: Imitation & inspiration stories