5th century AD. A chalcedony hair ring(?), accompanied by a museum-quality impression and a typed and signed scholarly note issued by the late A.D.H. Bivar, Professor of Iranian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, which states: 'The central aperture is too small for a male finger, which seems to exclude an archery ring. Engraved on the outside, a talismanic 'Gayomard' figure - - Gayomard is the archaeological 'label', but the subject seems to represent the constellation Orion; its talismanic significance is not clear. About A.D. 400 or later.' Cf. Bivar, A.D.H., Catalogue of Western Asiatic Seals: Stamp Seals: The Sassanian Dynasty, The British Museum, London, 1969, p.58, pl.6; cf. E. Gubel edn., A l'ombre de Babel: l'art du Proche-Orient Ancien dans les collections belges, Banque Bruxelles Lambert, 1995, p.127, no.250, for a stamp seal with identical figure; cf. Volk, J.G., Habib Anavian Collection: Ancient Near Eastern Cylinder and Stamp Seals from the Early 6th Millennium B.C. to 651 A.D., New York, 1979, nos.304-305. 23.7 grams, 30mm (1 1/4"). From an important private UK collection, acquired from Christie’s, London, 21 April 1999, lot 11; accompanied by a copy of a typed and signed scholarly note, by the late Adrian Hugh David Bivar, Professor of Iranian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and by copies of the relevant Christie’s catalogue pages.