Details

LOT 0580

Medieval Gold 'Love and Conceal Our Love' Posy Ring

15TH-MID 16TH CENTURY AD

3/4" (1.55 grams, 17.53mm overall, 15.48mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)).

A gold lady's ring with circular hoop with a slightly concave outer face, skillfully engraved with 'amer et celer' French for 'love and conceal [that love]', a tenet for courtly love, the inscription starting with three sprays of flowers, with a different stemmed flower with a smaller flower in front between each word; the ring was discovered inside the St Christopher ring, also offered in this sale, the rings were found wedged together and deposited as a sign of eternal love, possibly after the death of a loved one or after a secret love affair was discovered and cruelly ended.

Provenance

Found East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire on 8th July 2015; declared as Treasure under the Treasure Act with reference number 2015T509 and subsequently disclaimed; accompanied by a copy of the British Museum’s report for H M Coroner, a letter from Derby Museums, and a letter from the British Museum to H M Coroner, Miss Mairin Casey.

Published

Willis, Alastair 50 Finds from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire – Objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Stroud, 2016, p.72 & 73; and on the front cover of Garrett, Vaughan Vaughan Garrett’s Favorite Finds Metal Detecting Book, 2019; recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number DENO-5082A6; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report and copies of the front covers of the books and copies of pages 72 and 73 of 50 Finds from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire – Objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

CONDITION