amulet-ring;
cameo
- Museum number
- AF.1010
- Description
-
Amulet-ring; gold; engraved; hoop of triangular section with reserved inscription and projecting rosettes decorated with floral scrolls; decorated panels flanking projecting oval bezel set with cameo sard depicting three-quarter view head of genius or cherub.
- Production date
-
14thC (ring)
-
16thC (cameo)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 1.10 inches
-
Length: 0.34 inches (bezel)
-
Weight: 37 grains
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Text from Dalton 1912, Catalogue of Finger Rings:
The cameo is of the 16th century.
The words Iesus autem transiens, &c. (Luke iv, 30) were very generally used as a charm against dangers of travel by sea and land, more especially against attack by robbers. Mandeville, ch. x, says: and therefore seyen some men when thei dreden them of thefes on any way, or of enemyes, Jesus autem &c., in tokene and mynde that our Lord passed through oute of the Jewes' crueltie and scaped safely fro hem. Edward III used the text in the legend of the gold noble struck to commemorate his escape in the naval battle off Sluys (see C.W. King, Arch. Journ. xxvi, p. 231).
For examples of rings with this formula cf. nos. 231, 239, 895, and see Proc. Soc. Ant. London, ix, p. 97; Arch. Journ. xxv, p. 67; Pichon Coll., Sale Catalogue, 1897, no. 66.
Text from Ward, Cherry et al, 'The Ring from Antiquity to the Twentieth Century,' London 1981, pl. 147.
Although the cameo sard (a type of Carnelian) set in the projecting oval bezel of this ring is a sixteenth century replacement, the claw setting and the engraved flowers on the side of the bezel are fourteenth century. The hoop of triangular section has the following inscription reserved in the metal: +IEXUS (sic) AUTEM TRANSIENS ILUI (sic) IEXUS (sic) AUTEMI (sic) TRANSIENS LL; this is a confused version of Luke IV: 30, Jesus autem transiens ('Jesus passing through the midst of them'). It occurs on English, French and Italian rings (Pl. 145) as a charm against the dangers of travelling and particularly of being attacked by robbers.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1999 8 Feb-2 Apr, London, Wellcome Institute Library, Renaissance Medicine
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- AF.1010
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 1880 (Spitzer Collection)
