Jewelry

MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONAL VISIGOTHIC SIGNET RING IN RESPLENDENT ELECTRUM

Round, flat bezel engraved with a bird and an inscription reading “+ MICCITOVII ∵” The round-section hoop is soldered to the reverse of the bezel, with three globules on each shoulder at the junction with the bezel. The ring is in excellent, wearable condition.

Literature:

Rings used for sealing continued in Europe without interruption after the fall of the Roman Empire. Prior to the Gothic period, signet rings typically bore the name or sometimes the monogram of the owner, placed either around the circumference of the bezel or at its center. These rings were often set with an intaglio stone—sometimes an antique gem reused as spolia—or engraved directly on the bezel with an image. With the emergence of heraldry as a formal system of identification, signet rings of the 14th century began to incorporate armorial shields. By the 15th century, the practice of sealing had become so widespread that even those who did not possess family arms owned seal rings, which might include a name, symbol, or personal badge.

The present ring is characteristic of Merovingian and Visigothic signets, notably in its engraved animal motif (sometimes a man’s face in profile), its circular inscription, and its round bezel accented with globules. Visigothic rings from Spain generally differ from Merovingian examples produced in Gaul, the latter tending to be more delicately executed and often featuring bands attached directly to the edge of the bezel, reflecting a stronger continuity of Roman metalworking traditions.

The bird engraved on the ring’s bezel possibly represents a rooster—based on its posture and pronounced tail—which is a Christian symbol associated with St. Peter and evokes repentance. The same motif appears on several comparable rings of the period (see Anna Beatriz Chadour, Rings: The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Leeds 1994, vol. I, nos. 458–459). The inscription surrounding the bird begins with a cross and ends with three dots; the central letters read “MICCITOVII,” which is likely a personal name. For a comprehensive study of signet ring inscriptions of the period, see Maxime Deloche, Étude historique et archéologique sur les anneaux sigillaires et autres des premiers siècles du Moyen Âge, Paris 1900.

Comparable rings are known from major Visigothic archaeological sites in Spain, including Peña Amaya, Jaén, and Valencia. A particularly close parallel comes from Amaya and is now preserved in the Museo de Burgos, see B. Osaba y Ruiz de Erenchún, “Sello signatorio visigodo y otros objetos procedentes de Peña de Amaya,” Bellas Artes 1–5 (1970), pp. 47–48. While the Amaya example is fashioned in gold, the present ring is made of electrum—a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver—characterized by its high luster and, in certain historical contexts, valued even above pure gold. For further comparisons in major private collections, see, for example, a Merovingian gold ring engraved with a bird and inscribed “Majorelli,” formerly in the Edouard Guilhou Collection and published in de Ricci 1912, no. 987; and a Visigothic ring inscribed “Teudilad,” published in Gohr 2000, no. A21.14.

R-1126