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Ring stone with goddesses and aquatic plants

3rd–late 2nd century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 234
Recent finds of gold foil alongside finely carved discs suggest ring and disc stones were jewelers’ molds. Their designs incorporate honeysuckle and lotus, signs of auspiciousness and abundance. The Hellenized honeysuckle, introduced to India from Persia, had a popular local equivalent, the snake flower (nagapuspa).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ring stone with goddesses and aquatic plants
  • Period: Maurya
  • Date: 3rd–late 2nd century BCE
  • Culture: Northern India
  • Medium: Steatite
  • Dimensions: Diam. 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm)
  • Classification: Stone
  • Credit Line: Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Bequest of Samuel Eilenberg, 1998
  • Object Number: 2000.284.10
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Returned to lender
Ring-stone with goddesses and turtles
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