A GOLD RING SET WITH THREE RUBIES, THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
A GOLD RING SET WITH THREE RUBIES, THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
The gold ring with a raised oval bezel set with a large table-cut ruby, the high setting worked with radiating petal-like flutes and flanked by two smaller similarly cut rubies. The shoulders finely pierced with scrolling foliate tendrils and curling volutes, tapering to a slender plain hoop.Alloy composition: 89 % gold, 8.37% silver, 2.62% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Rubies: circa 2 carat.Provenance: Discovered in the Chantaburi River, Thailand, circa 1970. The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia’s prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, traces of use and manufacturing irregularities, the thin hoop slightly bent.Weight: 7 gDimensions: Length 2.6 cmRuby-set gold rings were objects of considerable prestige at the Ayutthaya court. In 1511, the king of Siam included a ruby ring, crown, and gold sword among diplomatic gifts sent to the Portuguese at Melaka. The region of present-day Myanmar was already renowned for its rubies during this period, with European travelers recording a flourishing trade in the stones by the later 16th century. The present ring thus evokes both the courtly splendor and far-reaching luxury networks of Ayutthaya.Literature comparison:Compare two closely related gold and ruby rings illustrated by Susan Ollemans, “Ancient Gold Rings from Asia: The Tuyet Nguyet Collection,” in Arts of Asia, July-August 2017, pls. 25D-E: an Ayutthaya gold and ruby ring, 15th-16th century, and a Sukhothai gold and ruby ring, 16th century.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 16 April 2026, lot 259 Price: EUR 10,400 Description: A gemstone-inlaid gold ring, Thailand, Ayutthaya period, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related Thai origin, gem-set bezel, finely worked shoulders, and rich gold decoration. Note the larger weight (50 g).
A GOLD RING SET WITH THREE RUBIES, THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
The gold ring with a raised oval bezel set with a large table-cut ruby, the high setting worked with radiating petal-like flutes and flanked by two smaller similarly cut rubies. The shoulders finely pierced with scrolling foliate tendrils and curling volutes, tapering to a slender plain hoop.Alloy composition: 89 % gold, 8.37% silver, 2.62% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Rubies: circa 2 carat.Provenance: Discovered in the Chantaburi River, Thailand, circa 1970. The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia’s prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, traces of use and manufacturing irregularities, the thin hoop slightly bent.Weight: 7 gDimensions: Length 2.6 cmRuby-set gold rings were objects of considerable prestige at the Ayutthaya court. In 1511, the king of Siam included a ruby ring, crown, and gold sword among diplomatic gifts sent to the Portuguese at Melaka. The region of present-day Myanmar was already renowned for its rubies during this period, with European travelers recording a flourishing trade in the stones by the later 16th century. The present ring thus evokes both the courtly splendor and far-reaching luxury networks of Ayutthaya.Literature comparison:Compare two closely related gold and ruby rings illustrated by Susan Ollemans, “Ancient Gold Rings from Asia: The Tuyet Nguyet Collection,” in Arts of Asia, July-August 2017, pls. 25D-E: an Ayutthaya gold and ruby ring, 15th-16th century, and a Sukhothai gold and ruby ring, 16th century.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 16 April 2026, lot 259 Price: EUR 10,400 Description: A gemstone-inlaid gold ring, Thailand, Ayutthaya period, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related Thai origin, gem-set bezel, finely worked shoulders, and rich gold decoration. Note the larger weight (50 g).
