Posie rings (sometimes spelled posy, posey or poesy rings) are gold
finger rings with a short inscription on their surface. They were popular during the 15th through the 17th centuries in both England and France as lovers' gifts. The language used in many early posy rings was Norman French, with French, Latin and English used in later times. The quotations were often from contemporary courtship stories or
chapbook
A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch.
In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...
s and usually inscribed on the inner surface of the ring.
The rings were also given to show regard or as a gift.
The
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of ...
in
Oxford,
England, has an outstanding collection. The
Victoria and Albert Museum in London also has a good collection bequeathed by
Joan Evans. She compiled a list of more than 3000 posies for her book ''English Posies and Posy Rings''.
References
Further reading
* . Reprinted by
Wartski
Wartski is a British family firm of antique dealers specialising in Russian works of art; particularly those by Carl Fabergé, fine jewellery and silver. Founded in North Wales in 1865, the business is located at 60 St James's Street, London, SW ...
, London, 2012.
External links
{{commonscat
Posie rings in the Ashmolean
Rings (jewellery)