Object Description
Post Medieval gold fleur-de-lis signet ring. A heavy yellow gold signet ring, the central circular plaque engraved with a prominent fleur-de-lis motif and framed by incised beaded edging, the integrated trumpeting shoulders feature scrolling tendrils and fitted border all decorated with niello fill terminating to a wide solid shank. Tested yellow gold, approximately 22g in weight, circa 17th century AD, accompanied by an Oxford Labs X-ray fluorescence report stating the composition of the metal.
The fleur-de-lis can be traced back to the early Medieval period, when it first appeared as a heraldic motif and as a decorative device in illuminated manuscripts. The fleur-de-lis is perhaps most closely associated with the French monarchy, who incorporated the emblem in their heraldry from the thirteenth-century onwards.