BRITISH AND MEDIEVAL ANTIQUITIES. 7X 



the cliaracter of, or the principal objects in, the various 

 sections. 



1. Finger-rings. 



This collection occupied many years in its formation and 

 contains rings of all periods. The classical series is very 

 rich, including fine Greek rings, several of the first importance 

 of Eoman times, e.g., those from the Treasure of Tarsus, and 

 others of the same massive kind of the first half of the third 

 century ; a Christian marriage ring inscribed accipe dulcis 

 MULTIS ANNIS, and a fine ring with the shoulders modelled 

 in the form of figures of Atys. Among the Saxon and 

 Byzantine rings the most remarkable, and probably the most 

 important in the whole collection, is the ring of ^thelswitha, 

 Queen of the Mercians and sister of Alfred the Great. It is 

 not a little remarkable that this ring will now be shown by the 

 side of the ring of the father of both, JEthelwulf, which has 

 been in the Museum for many years. Among the rings of 

 more modern date the following are worthy of mention, viz. : 

 — a series of twelve of the so-called Papal rings, the large 

 devotional ring with the " Five Wells " known as the 

 " Coventry ring," a rich series of signet rings, including one 

 of a Courtney, a number of Hebrew betrothal rings, a collec- 

 tion of mourning rings extending over about two centuries, 

 a large number of wedding rings with mottoes or posies and 

 a long series of ancient Javanese and other Oriental rings. 



2. Goldsmith's Work and Jeiuellery. 



This section includes a large quantity of jewellery and 

 other objects in the precious metals, many of them of classical 

 times, but with the exception of the " Treasure of the Oxus," 

 the greater part is of mediseval and later times. 



The " Treasure of the Oxus " is without doubt the most 

 important part of this section from the archaeological point 

 of view. It consists of a large number of utensils and works 

 of art, chiefly in gold, which have been sent to England from 

 the N.W. Frontier during a certain number of years past, 

 and it includes also a similar collection formed in India by 

 the late Sir Alexander Cunningham, by whom it was ceded 

 to Sir Wollaston Franks. 



As works of art the most important are : a large gold 

 armlet with two gryphons in full relief, their wings once set 

 with pastes or stones ; the remains of a dagger sheath with 

 hunting scenes in low relief in Persepolitan style ; two discs, 

 one in gold the other in silver, with designs of a similar 

 character; a gold jug, the handle terminating in a lion's 

 head ; and a model of a king in his chariot, in gold. 



The principal piece of historical interest is the god signet 

 of a Persian king of about 350 B.C. whose name has been 

 read as Phahaspes. The Treasure contains a very large 



