Description A CHAM RUBY AND AMETHYST-SET GOLD REPOUSSé RING WITH KALA MASKS
Champa, 10th-12th century. The ring set with a round ruby at the top flanked by two small oval amethysts, the setting finely decorated with gold thread and small gold beads, the shoulder with well-executed repoussé showing on both sides the head of Kala (kirthimukha), the demon of passing time, a common motif in Cham art intended to evoke fear and dispel evil.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with expected traces of age and wear as well as soil encrustations, the central stone with some natural inclusions.
Weight: 10.9 g
Dimensions: Size 3.2 x 3.1 cm, Inner Diameter 2.3 cm
Alloy composition range: Gold 64-72 %, Silver 24-28 %, Copper 2-4 %.