A CHAM GARNET-SET GOLD REPOUSSÉ ‘LOTUS BLOSSOM’... Lot n° 406

A CHAM GARNET-SET GOLD REPOUSSÉ ‘LOTUS BLOSSOM’ RING, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY Vietnam, former kingdoms of Champa. Finely worked, the ring is thin at the base of the shank and thickening towards the bridge, chased with a lotus blossom at the top with beading and incision work, the large round setting with a central dark garnet. 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, commensurate with age, with old wear, small manufacturing irregularities, and light tarnishing, all as to be expected for a gold object more than a thousand years old. Alloy composition range: Gold 64-72 %, Silver 24-28 %, Copper 2-4 %. Weight: 13 g Dimensions: Height 4 cm Literature comparison: Compare a related Cham gold ring with a sapphire, dated 9th-10th century, illustrated in Janos Jelen et al., Gold Treasures of the Cham Kingdoms from the Collection of Dr. Zelnik, Volume 2, Budapest, 2007, pp. 107, no. 31.