|
Date: |
|
Description: | Post Medieval gold mourning finger ring, dating to AD 1667.The ring has a D shaped cross section with a flat inner side. On the outer side is engraved a skull facing left, the eyes, nose hole, upper jaw and back of the skull are all indicated, the upper part of the head and are lower jaw not shown as they would be above and below the line of the band. On the inner side is inscribed .H.S. obiit 17 Aprill 67 followed by the makers mark of an S within a square. H.S. being the initials of the deceased who died on 17th april 1667. It is 18.4mm in diameter, 1.5mm thick and 3.07 grams.This is a common design for mourning rings in the later 17th century and many similar examples are recorded on our database: KENT-419E80 (2011 T611), NMS-9E1EF8 (2010 T585), BH-4B0E12 (2007 T16), LON-82B904 (2009 T92) etc. The engraved lines may have previously contained black enamel. Such a plain makers mark is hard to assign with certainty. It is not listed in Jackson's study of English Goldsmiths and their Marks (1949) however the study is mainly concerned with plate and lists fewer jewelery makers. During the 17th century it was common for people to leave money in their wills for mourning rings to be made for close relations and friends.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
|