A Rare Greek Silver Ring with Cicada and Serpent Motif, Archaic Period, ca. 6th - 5th century BCE

An exceptional silver finger ring from Archaic Greece, featuring an intricately rendered cicada in raised relief on the oval bezel. The cicada, with finely incised wing veins and a rounded thorax, is depicted frontally, its body aligned with the long axis of the bezel. The design is both anatomical and stylized, characteristic of the transitional aesthetic between Geometric and Classical Greek metalwork. The bezel is held in place by two finely detailed serpent heads, one on each shoulder, their forms subtly emerging from the tapered shank. The serpents are not merely structural but intentionally symbolic, tying the ring’s form and function to deeper cultural meaning. In ancient Greece, the cicada was a deeply symbolic creature, associated with immortality, rebirth, and the transcendence of the soul. Its natural cycle of emerging from the earth and shedding its form resonated with ideas of spiritual renewal. Similarly, the serpent was associated with healing, protection, and the underw