FINGER RING

A complete medieval finger ring made of cast silver with evidence of gilding. This is a 'stirrup-shaped' ring with a slender hoop with stepped shoulders rising to a roundly pointed bezel. A red sub rectangular setting is present. The hoop is flat on the inside with cast decoration across the entire outside of the hoop in a 'branching' design. The ring is in good condition with the setting firmly attached to the bezel. The hoop is worn with only patches of gilding present. The ring is similar in style to one shown in Egan and Pritchard: 1991, page 326, no 1608 which was recovered from a deposit dating to the middle of the 13th century. It is suggested that this form was popular from the mid-12th to the mid-15th century, but that this style of ring was most popular during the earlier part of that period.

This ring is similar in style to NMS-E14DE3 and BH-8F8058. Two similar rings with stepped shoulders, although with the addition of monster's heads, are also in the collection of the British Museum (1980,1202.1) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (889-1871), both are dated to the 13th century. Another 13th century example from the V&A, although with more ornate design but similarity in the foliate 'branch' design around the hoop, is M.183-1975.

Maximum diameter of the hoop is 22.25mm. The minimum thickness of the hoop at the base is 1.13mm. The height of the bezel is 3.32mm and it is 3.43mm thick. The setting is 3.45mm in length and 2.22mm wide. The ring weighs 1.95g.