“Unlocking the Mystique: The Equestrian Elegance of Ramses II’s Horse Ring”
Dated back to the era between 1279 and 1213 BC, the Horse Ring of Ramses II, also known as the Ring with Horses, stands as a testament to ancient Egyptian artistry. Gifted to King Charles X of France in 1827 by the wali (governor) of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, this exquisite artifact has since found its home in the Louvre Museum in Paris, joining the illustrious ranks of the museum’s Egyptian antiquities collection. Explore the captivating journey of this royal accessory and the fascinating intersection of history and art it embodies.
Who was Ramses II? Ramses II, also known as Ramesses the Great (1,303 BC– 1,213 BC), was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, belonging to Egypt’s New Kingdom period.
His reign lasted 66 years, and he stands out for the numerous works of construction he carried out. Ramses II ordered the extension of the temples and the construction of others; one of the most famous is the “temple of Abu Simbel.”
Description The Horse Ring has a diameter of 2.2 cm; the mares are 7.7 mm in height.
It is made of gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian (a reddish-brown mineral used as a semi-precious gem).
This ring is a piece of gold work commissioned by Pharaoh Ramses II to commemorate the braveness of his two mares in the Battle of Kadesh.
The ring is decorated with notches and reliefs.
Two mares are represented in the upper part, and the edges are decorated with a row of golden pearls on both sides of the mares.
The ring commemorates or symbolizes the moment during the Battle of Kadesh when the two mares (“Mut is Satisfied” and “Victory at Thebes”) saved the pharaoh.
Finally, it should be noted that the Battle of Kadesh against the Hitтιтes ended with a peace treaty, thus ending the centuries-long enmity between the ancient Egyptians and the Hitтιтes.
It is currently located in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
