{"product_id":"medieval-silver-ring-wistrid-11th-14th-c-ce-s-whirl-bezel","title":"Medieval Silver Ring - 'Wistrid' (11th–14th c. CE) EU 59 \/ US 8.75","description":"\u003cp\u003eA medieval silver seal ring named 'Wistrid', engraved with a feathery S-whirl, most likely a stylised heraldic emblem and its owner's personal badge. Cast in one piece, the ring has a large oval bezel on waisted, grooved necks and almond-shaped shoulders with incised strokes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Engraving:\u003cbr\u003eA bold S-scroll runs through the centre of the bezel, cut in intaglio inside a fine border. Four fan-like lobes turn round it in a whirl, a large and a small fan of curved strokes on one side and two curved, feathery lobes on the other, while short rays run out to the border above and below. Set in a pinwheel inside the border, scroll, fans and rays form an ornamental device, most likely a stylised heraldic emblem: a compact, distinctive badge built from repeated forms. A whirl rosette of half-palmettes is the other possible reading. Pressed into wax, a device like this stood for its owner as a signature or a coat of arms does, and its rays possibly gave it the look of a sun or star sign, a wish for light and good fortune.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetails:\u003cbr\u003eEra: Medieval\u003cbr\u003eMaterial: Silver\u003cbr\u003eRing Size: EU 59 \/ US 8.75\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Intact and cleaned; light to moderate wear to the rim and shoulder pads, a few small green corrosion spots and reddish-brown residue in some engraved cuts; scrape or file marks under the bezel\u003cbr\u003eProvenance: Private family collection assembled in the 1960s, later inherited by the previous owner (K.V.D., Belgium).\u003cbr\u003eUnique Identifier: R-586-S\u003cbr\u003eAuthenticity: Comes with certificate of authenticity\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestoration and Authenticity:\u003cbr\u003eOffered in its original, cleaned condition with no modern repairs. The piece has already been cleaned, so a restoration service is not available for it.\u003cbr\u003eA Certificate of Authenticity is included.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorical Context:\u003cbr\u003eCast signet rings with a flat engraved bezel and shaped, decorated shoulders are a medieval ring family, the device cut straight into the metal of the bezel rather than into a set stone. A seal of this kind closed letters, confirmed agreements and marked goods at a time when many people could not write their own names. People who bore no arms sealed with a device of their own choosing, and scrolls, spirals and whirls framed by short rays are among the recurring devices on medieval signet rings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCut into silver, one small whirl gave its owner a sign of their own, ready to stand for them in wax.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExplore more \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/medieval-crusader-rings\"\u003eMedieval rings\u003c\/a\u003e from our collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aurora Antiqua","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63679904252234,"sku":"R-586-S","price":520.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0897\/7140\/9738\/files\/medieval-silver-seal-ring-wistrid-top-view-of-disc-bezel-with-feathery-s-whirl-i-1.jpg?v=1790374228","url":"https:\/\/auroraantiqua.com\/products\/medieval-silver-ring-wistrid-11th-14th-c-ce-s-whirl-bezel","provider":"Aurora Antiqua","version":"1.0","type":"link"}