Roman snake ring Herculaneum, bronze

Product description

This ring is a replica of a Roman original found in the city of Herculaneum. It was worn in the first half of the 1st century AD. Rings like this were mainly worn by Roman women. Snakes were popular fertility symbols and watched over the household gods (the luck) of the family. Similar stylized snake rings have been found as far as Scandinavia, pointing to a shared Indo-European tradition or influence of this snake symbolism.

The snake was often depicted in Roman art and jewelry. It protected the family's prosperity. The snake stands in Greek antiquity and the Scandinavian Bronze age for healing. This snake veneration as we see it in Roman culture possibly originated in Macedonia, where it was believed that the snake was a fertility symbol. Therefore, women gladly wore jewelry in the form of a snake.