Abstract: A combination of a cylinder 62 of an internal combustion engine and a piston ring 40 for sliding an inner periphery of the cylinder, wherein at least a sliding face of the cylinder is composed of an aluminum alloy including 8 mass % to 22 mass % of Si and at least one or more particles selected from the group consisting of Si, Al2O3 and SiO2 particles each having a diameter of 3 ?m or more, and at least an outer periphery of the piston ring is coated with a hard carbon coating 14 composed only of hydrogen and carbon.