Medieval Gold and Silver Intaglio Ring c. 15th century. A si...

Hammer

£1,800

Medieval Gold and Silver Intaglio Ring c. 15th century. A silver ring with an applied band of gold around the outer face. The band has three sides each engraved with floral ornaments and the words, “en bon an”, a good year. The flat bezel has a recessed centre that is set with a clear stone intaglio (possibly Roman) depicting a male bust. Note: The inscription is paralleled on a good number of 15th century rings, often also decorated with flowers and branches between the words, such as British Museum catalogue numbers AF.1057 and 1960,1103.1. Dalton (1912, 111) suggests rings bearing this inscription were presented as New Year’s gifts. Oman (1974: 5) describes this expansive form of Black Letter as dating to the 15th century. 24mm x 11mm x 22mm, 4.7g, ring size UK S; US 9.
Recorded on the PAS database: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/933556.