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Description: | Treasure case 2012 T953: Disclaimed and returned to finder.Date: 16th - 17th centuryDescription: Gold signet ring with an incuse design of Noah's Ark on the bezel.The bezel is flat, thick and octagonal in outline. The ark is a double ended boat with deeply engraved outward curving prow and stern posts, curved sides with several lines running across them, interspersed with rows of indented circular dots and a small cabin in shape of symmetrical building with an open central door in the centre of the deck. On the cross hatched rood of the cabin stands a dove with the olive branch in its beak. A row of curved lines running down the side of the ship represents the gangplank and curved lines at the base indicate water. The design is within a double border. The inner, thin, plain line border is around the sides but not the top and bottom of the design. The outer ropework border of rows of closely spaced indented dots is around all eight sides. Dirt remains in some of the deeper indents.On the back of the bezel near one edge is stamped a makers mark, possibly of a raised I within a rectangle.The hoop is pointed oval in section with convex inner and outer sides, the inner side is flatter than the outer. It expands at the plain shoulders to meet the bezel. It has been squashed, now in an oval shape, slight nick to one side, slight indentation to the centre of the bezel.Dimensions: The bezel is 11.8mm wide by 13.8mm long and 0.9mm thick in the centre. The hoop is 2.0mm wide by 1.5mm thick at the back and 5.4mm wide by 1.1mm thick at the shoulder by the bezel. It is now 23.8mm long by 11.0mm wide externally. It weighs 3.61 g.Discussion: Signet rings with simple designs often of initials or symbols such as crowns and castles became popular in the 15th and 16th cf Cherry, in Saunders and Saunders (1991:42, 45, no.16) and Harvey and MacGuiness (1996: 93). However those examples are usually more robust, particularly around the hoop.The simplicity of the hoop on this example, the more elaborate design and the presence of the makers mark all suggest a Post Medieval, later 16th to 17th century date (Oman:1974: 32). The use of signet rings with non-heraldic devices became less popular in the later 17th century and is uncommon in the 18th (ibid: 33). Oman (ibid: plate 52E) illustrates a ring of very similar style although with a galleon in full sail rather than a Noah's ark dated to the early 17th century. 2008 T392 and 2005 T3, both with a circular bezel engraved with a griffin, are similar in general form and are also dated to the 16th to 17th centuries AD.The maker's mark has not been identified.Consequently, in terms of age and as the object contains a minimum of 10% precious metal it qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.
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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