A fine Bactrian bronze ring featuring a decorated bezel. The ring features a D-shape loop with a thin, slightly irregular band, which flares into rounded shoulders either side of the bezel. The oval bezel is decorated with linear incisions that seem to depict a reclining quadruped, possibly a horse, facing left, encased in a continuous encircling groove. Earthly encrustations and patination to the surface, alongside scratches and wear consistent with age. Bactria or Bactriana was an ancient country situated between the Hindu Kush and Amu Darya mountains. Its relevance centred around 600 BCE and 600 CE, as it served as a significant meeting place for Western and Eastern trade routes as well as being a central location for religious and artistic ideas. This meant large scale migration and resettlement of communities which resulted in a large circulation of new cultures and languages and an accumulation of vast wealth. Jewellery is such a wealth gained; these collections of rings pose as a suitable example. Internal diameter: 2cm Closest UK ring size: P Provenance: Private London collection, ex Parthenon Gallery, 1990-2017.