2 Byzantine Bronze Rings | Rosette and Interlace Knot Bezels + Medieval

Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine to Medieval period. Two cast finger rings, each with a broad circular bezel above a slender hoop that tapers toward the back. The larger, in copper alloy, has a rosette of eight radiating petals around a raised central boss, cut in low relief and softened by burial. The other, in leaded bronze, has a densely worked bezel of interlacing bands in a basketweave or knot pattern, still crisp within a beaded rim. Both belong to a broad Byzantine and medieval tradition of simple base-metal jewelry worn every day. The interlace ring may also have served as a simple seal. Both have green and earthen patina.. Base-metal rings of this type circulated widely across the Byzantine world and its medieval successors, where copper-alloy jewelry served a population far broader than the gold-wearing elite. Geometric interlace, rosettes, and knotwork were the common decorative vocabulary, motifs read as apotropaic as often as ornamental: the endless line of an interlace was thought to entangle misfortune, the rosette to invoke light and vegetal renewal. Rings with flat, patterned bezels frequently doubled as personal seals for merchants, clerics, and household stewards who needed to close a letter or mark a jar of goods. The ring with the striated bezel contains up to 15% lead and is not recommended for wear. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 204617

Estimate:$250

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