Description A CHAM AMETHYST AND CRYSTAL-SET GOLD REPOUSSé RING WITH KALA MASKS
Champa, 10th-12th century. The ring set with an oval amethyst at the top flanked by two smaller round crystals, 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.
Weight: 10.2 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 %.
Literature comparison: A similar piece is published in The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum, page 59, Budapest 2013.