Summary

Iconographic ring of silver-gilt from Hume Castle, Berwickshire, 15th century

Accession Number

H.NJ 90

Other references

Original description

Iconographic Ring of silver-gilt, 15th century. Diameter 1.03",length of bezel 0.72". MS note: From Hume castle. Caption note, February 1993: 15th century.//T. Deniozou note, 2011-01-28, Information taken from Glenn, Virginia, Romanesque & Gothic: Decorative Metalwork and Ivory Carvings in the Museum of Scotland, NMSE Publishing, Edinburgh, 2003: [One of] B1, C42, 41-2 [Angels, Nobles and Unicorns reference] //The heavy silver-gilt iconographic ring seems to be built up on a core of base metal, which is visible through damage at one edge of the bezel. The hoop is a wide band, flat on the inner surface, slightly convex with lozenge facets on the outer and flaring towards the two cell bezel.//The central ridge of the bezel is beaded, roughly engraved in one cell is a standing figure of the Virgin and Child, in the other a saint (or angel?). The hoop is chased with notched diagonal lattice, engraved rays radiating from a central dot in each lozenge. The letters m and i are engraved, one on each shoulder. The interior is entirely plain.//It seems unlikely that the scene is the Annunciation, as has been suggested, since the Virgin is already holding the Child.2//The term ‘iconographic’ was coined by Victorian collectors to describe this type of ring engraved with figures of the Virgin and or one of a small group of saints, possibly chosen because they were the owner’s name saint, because they were the objectives of popular pilgrimage or because they were saints particularly invoked against certain illnesses or misfortunes.3 The type is not found outside Britain and the discovery of these three examples [see also D12 and D13] close to the east coast and its sea routes suggests that they were probably imported from some centre of manu-facture in England.//NOTES:1 PSAS, vol LXXIV, 1940, 150.//2 Oman 1974, 115 no 66D, pls 66C and 66D. The catalogue is confused, ‘66C From Morayshire’ does not exist and Oman has given it the same museum number as D10. Pls 66C and D are back and front views of D10.//3 Ibid 54-5.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

None

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

Not recorded

Method (e.g. excavation)

Not recorded

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1940

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Not recorded

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Donor

Image