FINGER RING

A cast copper alloy ‘stirrup-shaped’ finger ring with a possible clear cut glass/ imitation gemstone setting secured in the bezel (internal diameter of hoop: 17mm; height of bezel: 6mm; width at bezel: 7.5mm; thickness at bezel: 5mm; diameter of possible cut glass: 5.5mm; weight: 3.79g). The diameter of the ring is rather small, possibly indicating being worn by a female. The bezel rises up to a rounded point with the glass/ gemstone protruding out from the top. There is a small hole with an approximate diameter of 3mm on the inside of the hoop, which extends through to where the glass/ gemstone is held in place. The ring is in a slight worn but fair condition with a dark green/ black patina.

Stirrup-shaped rings became popular in England from the middle of the 12th century for at least three hundred years and were worn by women and men. A pewter example of this type of ring was excavated from a deposit in London dating to the middle of the 13th century AD, and was set with a false stone, which was cast in one with the hoop (Egan & Pritchard, 1991, pages 326).

A similar ring, found at Wittersham in Kent, is now part of the British Museum’s collections. Even though it is made of gold, it still illustrates how thick and robust these rings can be with a massive faceted hoop and sapphire in the bezel (Dalton, 1912, page 254, plate XXIV, Ref no 1782). This example is dated to the Medieval period, but a specific date is not known.

Reference: Egan, G & Pritchard, F; ‘Dress Accessories: Medieval Finds from Excavations in London, c1150-c1450; 1991; HMSO Publications; pages 326-7; Ref nos 1608 & 1609.

: Dalton, O, M; ‘Catalogue of the Finger Rings in the British Museum: Early Christian, Medieval & Later’; 1912; page 254, plate XXIV, Ref no 1782).