gold dragon ring

A high-carat gold ring with a long spiralling band with horizontal grooves and a chased pattern of vertical stripes. The tips of the spiral are decorated with a dragon’s head on one end and a meandering snake like dragon’s tail on the other end. The animal is intricately ornamented, as is the band of the ring. The snake or dragon’s tail is embellished with a dotted pattern, while the dragon is crafted with great attention to detail, Flandres, circa 1600.

ring size 18 mm / 8 USA
weight: 12.5 grams

Snake jewellery from the 3rd century has been found in Scandinavia. Later, when the Vikings ruled, many exquisite works were found dating from the so-called Vendel Period (550-800).  The best-known dragon in Scandinavian folklore is the Midgard serpent. In Norse mythology, this creature is a symbol for our world. 

This dragon ring can be placed in a folk tradition, and it was most likely used as a wedding ring. According to oral tradition, this ring was found in the province of Drenthe by the well-known Dutch writer Louis Couperus (1863-1923), which makes it all the more exciting.