POSY RING SYMBOLIZING A HAPPY MARRIAGE AND GOD’S BLESSING

Gold band with D-section, plain on the exterior and engraved on the interior in Italic script with the English motto: “As god haeth decread so we agreed.” The ring shows signs of wear through age and remains in good, wearable condition.

Literature:

Posy rings derive their name from the term poésie, or poetry. These rings bear inscribed mottoes either in prose or verse. They enjoyed enduring popularity throughout the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Earlier examples feature inscriptions in gothic letters visibly engraved on the exterior of the band, while later examples like the present ring conceal their mottoes inside the hoop with their personal messages known only to the giver and recipient. Posy rings are mentioned in the plays of William Shakespeare (1564–1616), including Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice. From the fifteenth century onward, such rings were known to be exchanged between lovers, friends and family members expressing affection, friendship, faith, or even New Year wishes. They enjoyed great popularity in England, especially as betrothal or wedding rings.

The motto “As God hath decreed, so we agreed” was among the most popular inscriptions on posy rings, worn as a symbol of marriage. Numerous variants are recorded in the compendium of mottos compiled by Joan Evans (1931, pp. 20–21). In post-Reformation England, couples often chose posy rings as wedding bands, particularly those bearing religious inscriptions that affirmed their faith while invoking God’s blessing and protection in the hope of a happy and enduring union (see Scarisbrick 2021, p. 164).

Adaptations of this motto appear on posy rings in several major collections in London and Oxford, including the British Museum (Dalton 1912, nos. 1118–1122; 1961, 1202.120 and 1961, 1202.121), the Victoria and Albert Museum (377-1864 and 383-1864), the Museum of London (62.4/10; 62.4/66; 62.4/88), and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (AN1933.1576, given by Dame Joan Evans in 1933).

For a history of posy rings with extensive examples ranging from the medieval to the eighteenth century, see Scarisbrick 2021; for further studies on posies, see A Garland of Love: A Collection of Posy-Ring Mottoes, London, 1907; Dalton 1912, pp. 174 ff.; Evans 1931; Oman 1974, pp. 39 ff.; Taylor and Scarisbrick 1978; Scarisbrick 2007, pp. 74 ff. See also for an analysis of posies found on rings, ring brooches, and seals: Malcolm Jones, “The Beautiful Game: Courtly Love Posies in Anglo Norman Inscribed Jewellery and Seals,” in Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 2024, 177:1, pp. 101-130. 

R-1176