
Courtesy of National Museums Liverpool, World Museum
Finger Ring
M10423
Information
Purple red ring showing on one side a crab, the other side with no decoration. The ring is probably a magical gem stone, an amulet worn as a ring, Magical gem stones are known in the Roman world from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. Above the crab there are stars and a crescent moon. The wearers and users of such magical gem stones believed that the stones could cure personal health issues. Some of the symbols and inscriptions on them help us identify the health issue. In the case of this crab and because of the star and crescent symbols, this amulet was more about astronomy rather than health issues.