Rings

UNIQUE SYMBOLIC POSY RING WITH OPEN-WORK HEART MOTIFS AND MYRTLE FLOWERS

Wide gold openwork band composed of eight rounded heart-shaped frames, each engraved with six myrtle leaves and centred by a quatrefoil (four-petalled) myrtle flower. The interior of the hoop is engraved in black letters with the motto: “(heart symbol) eu to endure (quatrefoil/flower),” with “eu” an abbreviation for “euer/ever.” Together with the heart symbol, the inscription conveys the message “love will endure forever.” The ring shows signs of wear through age and is in good, wearable condition.

 

Found in the parish of Stowe Nine Churches in West Northamptonshire, England

(Portable Antiquities Scheme ID NARC-F6269F).

Posy rings derive their name from the term poésie, or poetry. These rings bear inscribed mottoes either in prose or verse. 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. Early examples usually feature inscriptions engraved on the exterior of the band, while later examples 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. They enjoyed enduring popularity throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, particularly as betrothal and wedding rings.

 

This late medieval posy ring is unique in its openwork design and rich symbolic language. The heart motifs, combined with engraved myrtle leaves and flowers, suggest that the ring may have been given on the occasion of a wedding. Since Antiquity, myrtle has been associated with love and was sacred to Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love. The tradition of including myrtle in the bridal bouquet has endured to the present day, and is still observed, notably in the wedding bouquets of the British Royal Family.

 

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.