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Description: | Copper alloy ring comprising a rectangular sheet metal bezel oriented vertically and rounded at top and bottom ends. The bezel is concave on the inside and convex on the outside. Attached to the outer face is a copper alloy plate of the bust of a man in relief. The figure is possibly bearded and wearing some sort of headdress with a distinctive vertical projection from the top of the head, possibly a top knot? From some angles the figure may be interpreted as oriental. Attached to the back of the bezel by solder is an open backed hoop formed by two square sectioned wires tightly wrapped around each other. The wires attach in two places effectively forming a double hoop that would encircle the finger twice. The hoop defines a rounded triangular shape in plan with a gap at the base of the triangle. There is a thin coating of bright yellow metal surviving particularly on the bezel but also in places on the hoop; possibly gilding? The bezel is 20.07mm long by 12.30mm wide and 1.34mm thick. The hoop measures 20.12mm by 21.40mm and each of the twisted wire bands is 2.17mm thick. The ring weighs 5.0g.Interpretation: Oval bezels on rings are not really common until the second half of the 18th century and become popular again in the later 19th century. The split shoulders are also not much seen before the 18th century. The square section twisted wire hoop suggests a late 19th century date. Altogether, it points towards a date in the last quarter of the 19th century. The open back of the hoop suggests a low cost way of sizing the ring, which fits with the copper alloy rather than precious metal composition. (R.Church, Curator, Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass Department, Victoria and Albert Museum)
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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