{"product_id":"victorian-figural-perseus-andromeda-intaglio-ring","title":"Victorian Figural 'Perseus \u0026 Andromeda' Ring","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePerseus \u0026amp; Andromeda told in gold and stone. English, circa 1870. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerseus wears Hades' helm of invisibility, augmented by the feathered wings of Hermes, and with Athena's aegis - the Gorgoneion- slung over his shoulder. The intaglio is exquisite both in execution and form, taking on an ethereal, almost ghostly aura on account of the translucent chalcedony hardstone into which its carved. And two figures, two powerful women, naked above the waist, whom we must assume to be one - Andromeda - hold up that ethereal-pale intaglio of Perseus. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerseus was Greece’s undisputed hero \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003enumero uno\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e of the pre-Heraclean age. And incidentally (or perhaps not), he was both half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles himself. Perseus was a demi-god, son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, and his exploits are literally legendary - from slaying the Gorgon Medusa to the rescue of Andromeda from Poseidon’s vengeance incarnate, the sea monster Cetus. The ancient Greeks though Perseus was an authentic historical figure, believing him to have founded Mycenae as his royal seat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe etymology of his name is just as intriguing as the mythology itself, and naturally the two are intrinsically linked. Greek folk etymology related the word \u003cem\u003ePerseus\u003c\/em\u003e to their name for the Persian people (\u003cem\u003ePérsai\u003c\/em\u003e), however the native name of the Persians is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePārsa\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (as in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efarsi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which remains the name of the Persian language today and has always been pronounced with an \u003cem\u003e-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ea\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Herodotus recounts this story, devising a foreign son of Andromeda and Perseus, Perses, from whom the Persians took the name. Apparently the Persians also knew that story, as Xerxes tried to use it to suborn the Argives during his invasion of Greece, but ultimately failed to do so…\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Because of the obscurity of the name \"Perseus\" and the legendary character of its bearer, most [contemporary] etymologists presume that it might be pre-Greek; however, the name of Perseus's native city was Greek and so were the names of his wife and relatives. There is some idea that it descended into Greek from the Proto-Indo-European language. In that regard [Robert] Graves proposed the only Greek derivation available: Perseus might be from the Greek verb pérthein (πέρθειν) \"to waste, ravage, sack, destroy\", some form of which is familiar in Homeric epithets.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e* Thus Perseus was, quite literally, known as ‘destroyer’ or ‘ravager’. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDating from the mid-nineteenth century, this ring is crafted in 18 carat gold and the figural nature of the shoulders is a distinct nod to jewellery of the Renaissance era, showing that its creator was very much aware of his or her lineage as a goldsmith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e*[Source: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Perseus\"\u003ewikipedia.org\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEra: Victorian, circa 1870\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRing size: L 1\/2 or 6 US. Get in touch to discuss resizing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHead: 20.2mm by 15.9mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStone: Chalcedony\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarks: None, tested as 18ct gold\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition: Great antique condition, light wear to the gold consistent with age\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lost Heirloom","offers":[{"title":"No","offer_id":50536696840504,"sku":"LO2445","price":3750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Yes","offer_id":50536696873272,"sku":"LO2445i","price":3825.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/7387\/2952\/files\/victorian-athena-intaglio-figural-ring-3898197.jpg?v=1755527701","url":"https:\/\/lostowl.com\/products\/victorian-figural-perseus-andromeda-intaglio-ring","provider":"Lost Owl Jewelry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}