Lot 453 , A rare Elizabethan gold signet ring, England, late 16th century

A rare Elizabethan gold signet ring, England, late 16th century, the oval front engraved with the initials GS, flanking a floral spray with roots tied in a true lover's knot, within a stippled border, size N1/2, gross weight 6 grams

Initials linked by knots were a popular motif in 16th century English jewellery. The initials may refer to lovers or may also be those of an individual.

Cf.: Oman, C., British Rings 800-1914, B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1974, pl.44 A, for an illustration of a similar ring, dated to the second half of the 16th century, in the collection of the British Museum, ref AF.798. Another in the same collection, ref AF.800, coincidentally with the same initials as the present lot, was found near Kirkstall Abbey in Yorkshire. Perhaps the most famous example is the 'Darnley Ring' in the Victoria and Albert Museum, said to have been found at Fotheringhay Castle and bearing the initials MH in reference to Mary and her husband Henry, Lord Darnley, though this precise attribution is now disputed.
£800-1,200

Condition:
In good condition, some minor surface wear and pitting commensurate with age

Sold for £3,400