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Fine Art Ring: The wedding ring of the Romans was a signet ring and conveyed the meaning that it was the wife's right to seal up the property of the household; it sometimes had a small key attached. It was placed on the fourth finger in early Roman days; the index finger was regarded by the J ews as the hallowed finger and bore the marriage ring; in the days of Queen Elizabeth I of England the ring, after betrothal, was worn on the thumb. The betrothal ring in Britain became the wedding ring about the time of the Reformation.
fine art ring specimens of goldsmiths' work in this form are in the Louvre, Paris, and in London museums. Since the seal was a sign of power or authority, it was natural that the wearer of the portable seal (a signet ring) assumed dignity. In this sense Pharaoh (Genesis 41 :42) invested Joseph with his ring; a ring which after many adventures found its way into the collection of Bertram Ashburnham, 4th earl (1797-1878), may be this very one as it was found in a mummy case in the Necropolis of Saqqara, near Memphis, having hieroglyphics indicating that it contained the body of Joseph. The step from the ring being an insigne of authority to its becoming an article of adornment is short, for we find that ancient Egyptian ladies wore finger rings, even several on a finger; a number of elegant specimens are extant (see Fig. 4).
Other extant rings of historic interest are: the Shakespeare ring (see Fig. 12), supposed to have been given by Anne Hathaway to the poet, which was found in a field at Stratford-on-Avon; the ring said to have been given to Henry Darnley, her husband, by Mary, Queen of Scots (see Fig. 13) ; and the wedding ring (see Fig. 14) which Martin Luther gave to Katharina von Bora when he married her—it is what is known as a Passion ring, carrying the symbols of the Passion. Westminster Abbey, London, has the Essex ring given to the earl by Queen Elizabeth I. |
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