Ca. 400 -500 AD. A jasper intaglio engraved with a scene depicting two figures, facing each other and flanking a fire altar. They are making offerings and gestures of worship to the winged deity hovering above them. The eight-pointed star to the right adds to the intricate symbolism of the scene. The intaglio is set in a gold finger ring of a hexagonal profile, possibly of a later period. Sasanian intaglios were used as seals and jewelry and often depicted religious and mythological scenes, as well as portraits of the Sasanian kings and their courtiers.Size: D: 19.56mm / US: 9 3/4 / UK: T; 12.81gProvenance: Private London collection, UK art market before 2000.