A SELJUK GOLD RING MOUNTED WITH INTAGLIO, PERSIA, 11TH/12TH CENTURY AND EARLIER

A gryllos can be a creature that is part-man, part-fantastical beast such as a griffin as in the present example. This intaglio is comparable to a fourth-century Sassanian carnelian stamp seal in the British Museum, London, inv. no.119701, which was probably influenced by earlier Roman models (see a red jasper intaglio in the British Museum, London, inv. no.1987,0212.417). For a similar ring-form with a raised bezel clasping a gemstone attributed to the Seljuk period, see Content (ed.) 1987, no.46.