A follow up to the 2018 publication “Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector’s Guide" (also available on ebay and from McFarland Press)

Origins and classifications of styles and symbology on jewelry and portable artwork from Europe and Eurasia between late antiquity and the Renaissance. Much of this information has recently been translated and made available to the general reader in English speaking countries. An invaluable guide for researchers, collectors and academics

Several e-book formats are also available from various retailers.

From the back cover:

"What are the origins of the imagery and designs on common jewelry and portable artwork between late antiquity and early Renaissance? These dynamic centuries encompass the transformation of the Greco-Roman world into the nascent kingdoms and medieval states upon which most modern European nations are based. But the choices of jewelry and other forms of personal expression amongst the lower classes in ancient times is notoriously difficult to contextualize for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, these precious articles were expressions of individual identity, as well as signifiers of one’s rites of passage through life. As such, they reflect not only the people who wore them, but also the social milieu and artistic trends impacting their lives at that moment in time. Although some of these artifacts were addressed in the author’s previous book (Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector’s Guide), the issues of when and where these styles originated was essentially not addressed. This new study assists in identifying the origins and routes of transmission of personal artwork across Europe and Byzantium in the medieval period. Some of this material represents the first time relevant research from Central and Eastern Europe has been translated and made available to the general reader in the English speaking world.”

 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Preface 1

Introduction 3

Part I: Late Antiquity and the Migration Period 7

The Dark Ages 7

Hannibal ad Portas: the Barbarian Onslaught 9

Part II: The Diffusion of Jewelry Designs Since Late Antiquity 17

Part III: Difficulties in Dating and Identification 21

Part IV: Medieval Societies of Western Europe 24

Frankish and Germanic Kingdoms 24

Frankish Tribes 25

Germanic Tribes 26

Frankish and Germanic Ring Types 28

Scandinavian and Anglo-

Saxon Kingdoms 33

Part V: Influences from Asiatic Cultures 43

Trade Routes Between Europe and Asia 43

Ancient Cultures of the Eurasian Steppe 45

Asiatic Origin of Certain Zoomorphic Motifs 52

“Saltovo” and Related Types from the Steppe 61

Kievan Rus and Kipchak Khanate 64

Part VI: The Roads Less Traveled: Central and Eastern Europe 68

Medieval and Modern States 72

The Successor States of the Former Yugoslavia 79

Notable Medieval Cultures 83

Part VII: Common Ring Types from Central and Eastern Europe 89

Religious Rings 91

Magical/Apotropaic and Geometrical Symbols 97

Ring and Dot Patterns 99

Heraldic and Pseudo-Heraldic Rings 101

Heater Shield, Flame and Heart-Shaped Designs 102

Fleur-de-lis 103

Portcullis and Similar Cross-Hatched Patterns 104

Star and Crescent 106

Sword and Arm 107

Avian and Zoomorphic Motifs 109

Architectural, Crowns and Similar Designs 111

Monograms, Merchant’s Marks and Personal Seals 112

Quatrefoil, Rosette and Similar Decorative Motifs 114

Plain Hoop and Twisted Wire Designs 117

Cast Types with Faux Gemstones 119

Part VIII: Anthropomorphic Rings from Central and Eastern Europe 121

Part IX: Slavic Stolovat and Similar Jewelry Types 139

Part X: Common Signet Ring Configurations 145

Part XI: Star and Floral Patterns 150

Glossary 155

Chapter Notes 171

Bibliography 177

Index 181