Certified Authentic Egyptian Antiquity Third Intermediate Period Bronze Ring For Sale

Third Intermediate Period Egyptian Bronze Signet Ring – Raised Cartouche Bezel (c. 1069–747 BC) - Size 4.5

Authenticity NoticeThis artifact is certified authentic and will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance. All professional inventory is vetted through recognized platforms to ensure legal standing.

DetailsObject: Cast Bronze Signet Ring (Raised Rectangular Cartouche Bezel)Culture: Ancient Egypt (Third Intermediate Period / 21st–23rd Dynasties)Date: Circa 1000–800 BC (11th–9th Century BC)Material: Cast Bronze / Copper Alloy (preserving a dark olive-green to blackish cuprite patina with thick, stable calcified desert sand encrustations)Form: Elevated rectangular seal platform mounted on a slender circular hoop; intaglio face features an incised profile motif within a defined cartouche borderDimensions: Ring Size US 4.5 (approx. 15.3 mm internal diameter)Region: Nile Delta / Lower Egypt (Levantine-Egyptian Trade Axis)

Iconographic & Typological AnalysisThis US size 4.5 Third Intermediate Period Egyptian signet reflects Third Intermediate Period casting and sealing styles:

• Raised Cartouche Architecture: Features a distinctive rectangular bezel platform elevated proud of the slender hoop. The defined rectangular border evokes royal cartouche and official seal forms common to Third Intermediate Period metalwork.

• Compact Slender Band: Built with a light, comfortable hoop profile sized for a woman, youth, or small finger wear (US size 4.5), serving a dual purpose as personal adornment and an apotropaic charm.

• Desert Archaeological Patination: Displays a genuine dark cuprite patina with heavy, uncleaned chalky white desert mineral encrustations adhering tightly around the elevated bezel walls and lower band.

Overview and Historical ContextDuring the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069–747 BC), metal casting techniques in Egypt shifted toward producing all-bronze signet rings alongside classic glazed composition and scarab finger rings. In workshops across Tanis and Thebes, smiths cast rings with integral raised rectangular bezels, allowing administrators and citizens to carry functional stamp seals on their hands. Measuring US size 4.5, this compact bronze signet offers an authentic artifact from the era of Egypt\'s Twenty-First and Twenty-Second Dynasties.

Authenticity Check

• Solid cast bronze core showing genuine casting seams and ancient hand-tooling under magnification.

• Authentic, uncleaned calcareous desert sand matrix compacted against the elevated bezel collaring.

• Complete circular hoop measuring US size 4.5 with natural ancient age-wear and no modern solder restoration.

Museum Comparable Examples

• The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London: Inv. UC12642 (Third Intermediate Period bronze signet rings with raised rectangular bezels).

• The British Museum, London: Accession No. EA 29231 (21st–22nd Dynasty Egyptian bronze finger rings and cartouche-shaped signets).

• The Louvre Museum, Paris: Accession No. E 13104 (Late New Kingdom / Third Intermediate Period bronze stamp rings).

Academic & Typological References

• Petrie, W. M. F. (1927). Objects of Daily Use. British School of Archaeology in Egypt. (Ref: \"Class IX: Bronze Signet Rings and Raised Cartouche Bezels\").

• Wilkinson, A. (1971). Ancient Egyptian Jewellery. Methuen & Co. (Ref: \"Third Intermediate Period Metal Signet Types\").

• Andrews, C. (1990). Ancient Egyptian Jewelry. British Museum Press. (Ref: \"Bronze Finger Rings and Administrative Stamps\").

ConditionVery fine archaeological condition. Complete, solid, and fully wearable at US size 4.5, preserving a clear raised bezel profile, authentic dark patina, and undisturbed desert mineral encrustations.

TRN-1-1