This small gold ring becomes wider on the upper sides and forms a circular bezel. The flat circular surface is decorated with the inscription ΕΠΑΓΑΘΩ (for good fortune), spelt to fit the circular shape of the surface.
It is a children’s ring of the Byzantine period. Similar rings have been found in excavations in Cyprus. In his book Cyprus Antiquities (London: W. Holmes & Son, 1881), Alexander Palma di Cesnola refers to his excavations at Kourion, where personal pieces of gold jewellery were found, such as earrings, rings, bracelets, talismans, necklaces and buttons. Burial chaplets made of sheets of gold with embossed decorations and some children’s rings inscribed ΕΠΑΓΑΘΩ were also found.
This was the first ‘official’ children’s object to be acquired by the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia. It was the beginning of a small but significant Collection, which includes jewellery, dresses, toys and other objects used by children. The Collection was displayed in a temporary exhibition entitled Children’s Objects in 2002.
Bibliography: Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel and Elena Poyiadji-Richter, 100+1 Objects from the Collections of the Leventis Municipal Museum, Nicosia: The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, 2006, p. 117. Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel and Demetra Theodotou (eds), A Guide to the History of Nicosia, Nicosia: The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, 2009, p. 39.