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