Why Is Posy Rings Important In The Middle Ages

In the Medieval Ages, posy denotes short rhymes or mottos that were engraved on lovers’ rings. The inscriptions on the posy ring were a sign of personal devotion. These rings derived their name from the French word “poésie,” or poem. The short sayings which were engraved were religious, friendly or passionate in nature. There are often associations of imagery that also make them medieval equivalents to poetry. The inscriptions were first on the outside of the rings, but later became more popular to be engraved on the inside. The reason for this is partly for preference, and partly because it was said that the closer these messages of love were to the skin, the more powerful they would be. The history of these rings is traced through archaeological

With that said, the inscriptions were more commonly in French, the language of courtly love. The repetition of particular inscriptions indicated that the goldsmiths that engraved the rings had a reference book for popular sayings. If the sayings were more abstract, it was thought to be an individual request of the buyer. Posy rings were usually given as a gift, and in the Medieval Ages was an expensive gift, made primarily of gold or silver. The ring itself consisted of a plain band, and was named after the poetic inscriptions decorated on them. In order to show inscriptions more clearly, Posy rings were engraved with black, and often featured a stone or jewel. If the ring was decorated with an image, a color other than black may have substituted the filling. Since inscriptions were most popular on the inside of the ring, the outside of the ring could be decorated in any degree, ranging from just a plain band with engravings, to drawings of images, and even stones or jewels. The ability to choose or write a posy became one of the literary exercises expected of an educated person. Friends and family would often help to find the right

The gold ring is set with a spinel, a type of ruby gemstone. The gemstone is often called ‘balas ruby’, and is a stone of higher value. The message inscribed on the outside of the ring is a love message in French, saying ‘pour amor, say douc’ which means ‘for love, so sweet’. This ring was found in an archaeological excavation on the foreshore of the Thames River at Bankside. The measurements of the ring indicate its small size, leading to the belief that the wearer of the ring was most likely a female. It has a diameter of 20 mm on the outside, a diameter of 17 mm on the inside, and is 6 grams in