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A GOLD RING WITH AN INCISED BEZEL DEPICTING AN ELEPHANT, 7TH-12TH CENTURY
Lot 408 - FAS0624
Indonesia, Java. Superbly worked, the large oval bezel incised with an elephant standing foursquare on a lotus.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear, small dents, tiny nicks, encrustations.
Alloy composition range: Gold 64-72 %, Silver 24-28 %, Copper 2-4 %. All measurements approximate.
Weight: 9.3 g
Dimensions: Height 2.8 cm, Width 2.3 cm (the bezel)
This gold elephant ring was almost certainly used in courtly settings, simultaneously blessing the ruler and symbolizing their power. Java was influenced with Hindu-Buddhist culture between the 5th and 15th century. As a result, some Hindu deities and beliefs were incorporated into Javan culture, including the powerful iconography of the elephant, considered a symbol of strength and wisdom. The elephant is associated with important deities such as Lakshmi, Brihaspati, Shachi, and Indra, and thus used to represent royal power. The use of gold was also associated with royalty and was hailed as mystic by Javanese court culture which believed it could attract good luck and protect the wearer against the forces of evil.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related gold ring, 2.3 cm diameter, dated 8th to early 10th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1998.544.354.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 September 2022, lot 1027
Estimate: HKD 80,000 or approx. EUR 9,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A solid gold ring with an incised bezel of an elephant Java, Indonesia, 7th-12th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related design and motif. Note the size (2.1 cm) and heavier weight (44 g).
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