Medieval Silver Ring Brooch

Code: 10517

This is an intact medieval silver ring-brooch, dating to the 13th - 14th century AD. Ring-brooches are the most common type medieval brooch to survive and had a practical function: to fasten tunics, especially at the neck. Shaped as rings, with a long central pin, these brooches varied enormously in size and could be tiny, smaller than a fingernail. Ring-brooches were made of costly gold or silver, or of much cheaper copper or pewter. They were worn mostly until the late fourteenth century when changing fashions in dress included more closely tailored clothes and the growing use of button fastenings.

This example is decorated on the face, with the back having a raised pie-crust border. This type of brooch often had an openwork plate, fitted to the front (similar to SUR-664262 and SUSS-9A73C2). This example has a central piercing for the pin, again see LVPL-3A34D3 and LANCUM-285905 for comparison. 

OBJECT: Ring-brooch

CULTURE: Medieval

DATE: c. 1200 - 1300 AD

MATERIAL: Silver

SIZE: 26mm x 1mm

WEIGHT: 1.49 grams

PROVENANCE: Ex. Private Collection, La Rochelle, France