RING 



6625 



Riug. Examples of finger-rings. 1. Etruscan ; gold hoop with oval engraved stone. 2. Roman ; gold 

 octagonal hoop and garnet with intaglio. 3. Merovingian ; gold set with garnets. 4. Scottish, 16th 

 century ; gold dated 1565 and engraved with the initials MH for Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Darnley, 

 to whom it belonged. 5. French, 13th century ; goldtepiscopal ring, with uncut sapphire. 6. English; 

 gimmal ring set with jewels. This was the wedding-ring of Sir T. Gresham. 7. Italian, 16th century; 

 gold ?t with jewels. 8. Anglo-Saxon ; gold, probably an episcopal ring of Alhstan, bishop of Sherborne. 

 9. English, 18th century ; gold signet engraved with coat of arms 



2-5 and 7-9, by coarlety of the Director. Victoria <ft Albert Museum, S. Kensington 



RING 



Many of them 

 are of such 

 dimensions 

 that they can 

 have been 

 used only on 

 ceremonial 

 occasions PT er 

 gloves, o (^ 



In the pa- 

 pa 1 rings 

 broad hoops 

 supportheavy 

 projecting 

 bezels, the 

 shoulders and 

 side adorned 

 with sacred 

 figures, sym- 

 bols and he- 

 raldic shields, 

 in the top a 

 table or cabo- 



of authority. The Egyptians, who 

 possessed independent seals, also 

 wore signet -rings, many of which 

 had pivoted bezels, one side en- 

 graved with the hieroglyphic 

 cartouche or signature, the other 

 carved into the shape of the sacred 

 scarab beetle, or other religious 

 symbol. Some of these were 

 adorned with coloured enamels, 

 coloured glass, or precious stones. 

 Another practical form of this 

 article was the bow-ring, worn on 

 the thumb with a sloping part to 

 protect the ball of the thumb from 

 the rebound of the bow string. 



Early types of rings were made 

 in the shape of three part circles, 

 the ends fitting into the bezel, or 

 with small end rings to hold the 

 pivoted bezel. Others are plain 

 bands, flat or rounded. In the 

 more elaborated types we have the 

 hoops of varied styles attached to 

 the flattened front part, the bezel 

 or chaton, also called a collect when 

 encircling a cameo or a precious 

 stone. Twin (gimmal) rings, con- 

 sisting of two circlets inter- 

 locked, as well as trick rings con- 

 sisting of two, three, or more separ- 

 ate circlets which joined up when 

 placed on the finger, but fell apart 

 when taken off, are found among 

 ancient jewelry. 



Use in Classic Times 

 In early days Greeks made little 

 use of rings. In republican Rome 

 rings were plain ; the equestrian 

 order wore them made of iron, but 

 these later became tokens of the 

 servile state. Under the emperors 

 great extravagance was displayed 

 in the matter of rings, both men 



for self-destruction. Such rings 

 persisted until the 18th century. 

 Charm rings were in use among the 

 Romans, as they had been with the 

 Egyptians, and later with the 

 Coptic and other Gnostics. In 

 medieval times and long after, 

 charm and magic rings were in 

 high esteem, bearing mystic in- 

 scriptions and symbols. The 

 precious stones themselves were 

 deemed to be charms, each having a 

 special attribute as a preservative 

 against poisoning, the evil eye, 

 casting of spells, and so on. 



Betrothal and Marriage Rings 

 In ancient Rome a ring was 

 given as a pledge of betrothal, and 

 though this custom seems to have 

 been the origin of the modern 

 wedding-ring, it may still be 

 traced in the common practice of 

 giving a gem-ring when a mar- 

 riage engagement is agreed upon. 

 Another form of betrothal ring, 

 common in Elizabethan and Stuart 

 times, was the posy or poesy ring, 

 the name being derived from the 

 rhyming inscription cut upon it. 

 Similar appeals for faithful love 

 were once conveyed by rings given 

 on the occasion of marriage. 



Marriage rings were adopted by 

 the Church from the pagan custom 

 of placing a ring on the bride's 

 finger, no doubt originally as a 

 symbol of possession. Wedding- 

 rings have nearly always retained 

 the plain circle form of the old iron 

 hoops. But it was otherwise with 



chon cut gem, the flat ones occa- 

 sionally incised. The gems were 

 usually sapphires, the token of 

 purity, though rubies (fiery glory), 

 emeralds (tranquillity), and crystal 

 (simplicity) are also seen. This 

 symbolism of the above value 

 of stones has come down to us 

 in the natal stones, a special gem 

 being assigned to each month, 

 and alphabet rings, one stone or a 

 variety being chosen to give the 

 initial letter, or even to spell a 

 name in full. A ring, the "marriage 

 ring of England," is used in the 

 coronation ceremony, and formerly 

 contained a fine sapphire, said to 

 have belonged to Edward the 

 Confessor. The Doges of Venice 

 wore rings of office, and these they 

 cast into the Adriatic on Ascen- 

 sion Day of each year as a token 

 of the marriage of the Republic to 

 the Sea. (See Bucentaur.) 



Devotional and Memorial 

 Devotional rings include those 

 known as decade rings, the hoops 

 adorned with ten knobs, for ten 

 Aves, the bezel serving for the 

 Paternoster. Others have hinged 

 bezels, the gem stone concealing 

 a sacred miniature, symbol, or in- 

 scription. Similar rings of secular 

 nature have portraits or mottoes ; 

 among these may be classed the 

 memorial rings for lost causes, the 

 Stuart or Bourbon rings. Allied to 

 these are the mourning rings ; 

 some having hair of the deceased 

 daintily plaited or formed into 

 conventional designs, placed under 



the Jews. Their marriage rings are 'crystals or white sapphires ; others 



heavy, elaborately carved, broad 

 bands with inscriptions, and fre- 

 quently possessing projecting bezela 1 



and women wearing superb speci- in the shape of miniature taber- 



mens enriched with carving, chas- 

 ing, enamelling, cameos, intaglios, 

 and precious stones. Some of the 

 most beautiful were hollow, to con- 

 tain poison, either for an enemy or 



nacles. Certain of the ecclesiastical 

 rings of office, bestowed on bishops, 

 mitred abbots, cardinals, and 

 popes, have this peculiarity of 

 enormously projecting bezels. 



are enamelled black, and bear por- 

 traits, appropriate emblems, or in- 

 'scriptions. Attachments to rings 

 are not uncommon. Some Roman 

 rings had small keys projecting 

 from the hoop flat against the 

 finger ; probably keys of treasure 

 chests. In later times we see gems, 

 miniature reliquaries, or charms, 



Z 8 



