Apollo’s mouse

In The Iliad Homer called Apollo the ‘God with the silver bow/ protector of Chryse’ and ‘Apollo Smintheus’, which translated as Apollo, the Lord of the Mice. Images of the god with a mouse appeared both on coins and in stone. One coin showed Apollo with a mouse under his chin, another showed a mouse sitting on the palm of his outstretched hand. In the Troad the Temple of Apollo Smintheus was rumoured to have white mice living under its altar. The mice were sacred.
This very high carat gold ring, Greek, circa 400 B.C. is incised with a mouse. In the typical manner of ring construction at the time, the shank of the ring is formed from a sheet of gold which has been tightly rolled. The ring is size K [US 5 and 1/8] and still in very fine and most wearable condition centuries after it was made.

£6000
Item ref : GW2