359 (16)

332

Dress Accessońes

which to produce a finger ring, it is not a solitary example. Another in the collection of the Museum of London is madę from two wires twisted together in opposing directions and fmished with an imitation oval bezel (MoL acc. no. 81.266/11), and even a pin could be used, the head substitut-ing for a stone (MoL acc. no. 86.109/8). These rings were yet another imitation of a form occur-ring in precious metal; one madę from gold, for example, was recovered at Northolt manor (Hurst 1961, 293, fig 76 no. 30).

Simple hoops

Copper and copper alloy:

Soldered sheeting

1623    BIG82 acc. no. 2828 (context 4064) ceramic phase 6 fig 217

Copper (AML); flat-sectioned, thickening towards a rectangular bezel; soldered lap joint on lower part of hoop; extemal d 15mm; intemal d 11 mm.

1624    BWB83    2713    (329)    11    fig 217

Brass (AML); flat-sectioned with soldered lap joint, decorated on the outside with a repeating pattem of a saltire cross divided by a bar; extemal d 21mm; intemal d 19mm.

Cast

1625    BWB83    4732    (309)    12    fig 217

Brass (AML); plain D-shaped in section; extemal d 19mm; intemal d 16mm.

1626    SWA81    1997    (2108)    12    fig 217

Brass (AML); plain, trapezoidal in section; extemal d 21mm; intemal d 18mm.

1627    SWA81    2887    (2106)    12    fig 217

Gunmetal (AML); flanged hoop decorated on the outside with beading; extemal d 19mm; intemal d 17mm.

1628    SWA81    2926    (2108)    12

Brass (AML); flanged hoop decorated on the outside with transverse grooves; extemal d 17mm; intemal d 15mm.

1629    SWA81 2025 (2106/2107) 12 fig 217 Brass (AML); as preceding; extemal d 22mm; intemal d 20mm.

Finger rings in the form of a simple hoop chiefly come from deposits of the early 15th century.

Two from earlier deposits are distinguishable technically as well as stylistically, sińce they were madę from strips of sheeting rather than by casting.

The earliest hoop, which is also the only one madę from copper, was recovered from a deposit of the late 12th century (ceramic phase 6) (no.

1623,    fig 217). It has a finger span of only 12mm, and, therefore, was probably wom on an upper joint of the little finger or by a child. The strip of metal forming the ring has two narrow overlap-ping ends, which were soldered together. Oppo-site the soldered join, the upper part of the ring thickens into a poor imitation of a rectangular bezel. The other finger ring, madę from brass sheeting, is pattemed on the outside with a repeating seąuence of bar-lines and saltires (no.

1624,    fig 217). It is considerably larger in dianie ter and would have been wom by a man.

The five hoops cast in one piece rangę from 17mm to 22mm in diameter. Two plain examples madę from brass are respectively D-shaped and trapezoidal in section (nos. 1625 & 1626, fig 217), whereas the other three hoops have a narrow flange round the outside. The flange on the hoop madę from gunmetal is decorated with beading (no. 1627, fig 217), while the other two, which are brass and decorated with transverse grooves, form a pair (nos. 1628 & 1629, fig 217). The simple character of these pattems may mean that they were designed to be wom as guard rings, but the rough finish of the rings on the inside surface, especially on the three flanged hoops, suggests that they were not intended to be wom and that some other function for them should be sought.

Pewter finger rings

(Ali identifications as pewter AML)

Bezel soldered to hoop

1630 BWB83 acc. no. 77 (context 155) ceramic phase 11 fig 218

Slender hoop, triangular in section; circular bezel set with a false fiat stone edged with beading and four smali false stones at the Cardinal points. Remains of casting

218 Pewter finger rings