Finger Ring Fragment

1978.291.297x

Information

Bezel of blue faince from a finger ring. At the royal city of Amarna, the archaeologist Flinders Petrie found thousands of ceramic moulds used to make faience rings, jewellery and amulets. Made from the same raw materials as glass (silica, soda and lime) faience was prepared as a paste and shaped in moulds before firing. Different glazing techniques produced a variety of colours. From the collection of Flaxman Spurrell purchased in 1956 (not assigned an accession number until in 1978). Spurrell was given many small finds from Flinders Petrie's 1891-2 excavations at Tell el-Amarna. However, it could also be possible the object is from Hughes and Petrie's 1888 and 1889 excavations at Gurob.