Rights Holder: Isle of Wight Council
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
FINGER RING
Unique ID: IOW-568773
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A Medieval silver-gilt iconographic finger-ring (c. 1400-c. 1500). Treasure case no. 2010 T297.
The ring has a two-faceted bezel, each engraved with the sacred heart and a quatrefoil motif below. Each heart has four small indentations. The shoulders are engraved with foliate scrolls. Below the shoulders, two prominent transverse ribs divide the shoulders from the lower part of the hoop. This lower part is decorated with four diagonal beaded bands.
This finger-ring is in good condition and some of the gilding has been lost, apparently, due to wear.
Maximum diameter of hoop: 23.0mm; width of bezel: 7.9mm; weight: 6.10g.
Similar rings, often depicting saints, are considered to be 15th century. The design on this ring is unusual.
The find contains a minimum of 10% silver and predates 1710. It thus qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 in terms of precious metal content and age.
Notes:
Calbourne, Isle of Wight: silver-gilt finger-ring (PAS: IOW-568773; Treasure: 2010 T297)
Date: Medieval (c. 1400-c. 1500).
Discovery: Found by Philip Lewis while metal-detecting in May 2010, and recorded by Frank Basford (Isle of Wight FLO).
Description: A silver-gilt iconographic finger-ring with a two-faceted bezel, each engraved with the sacred heart and a quatrefoil motif below. Each heart has four small indentations. The shoulders are engraved with foliate scrolls. Below the shoulders, two prominent transverse ribs divide the shoulders from the lower part of the hoop. This lower part is decorated with four diagonal beaded bands.
This finger-ring is in good condition and some of the gilding has been lost, apparently, due to wear.
Dimensions: maximum diameter of hoop: 23.0mm; width of bezel: 7.9mm; weight: 6.10g.
Discussion: Similar rings, often depicting saints, are considered to be 15th century. The design on this ring is unusual.
Metal content: The find contains a minimum of 10% silver and predates 1710. It thus qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 in terms of precious metal content and age.
Frank Basford, Finds Liaison Officer, Isle of Wight, May 2010.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: National importance
Class: iconographic
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Exactly AD 1400
Date to: Exactly AD 1500
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Width: 7.9 mm
Weight: 6.1 g
Diameter: 23 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 3rd May 2010
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: Treasure case no. 2010 T297
Materials and construction
Primary material: Silver
Secondary material: Gold
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
District: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Calbourne
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
Similar objects
Find number: IOW-303137
Object type: FINGER RING
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
A complete silver-gilt Medieval to post-Medieval finger-ring, 15th-early 16th century. Treasure: 2010 T70).
This ring has a rectangular bez…
Workflow: Published
Find number: IOW-6685C5
Object type: FINGER RING
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
Medieval silver-gilt finger ring, probably fifteenth century. Diameter 24.5mm. Weight 7.42g. The ring has a ridged, two-faceted bezel, each fa…
Workflow: Published
Find number: IOW-2E6B43
Object type: FINGER RING
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
A Medieval silver-gilt finger-ring (c. 1450-c. 1550). Treasure case no. 2011 T2.
An incomplete finger-ring with a bezel in the form of an …
Workflow: Published
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618