Items Similar to C1690 Seventeenth Century 22K Posy Ring with motto “A Frende
s Gifte"
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C1690 Seventeenth Century 22K Posy Ring with motto “A Frende
s Gifte"
$4,800
£3,661.38
€4,171.42
CA$6,746.44
A$7,360.19
CHF 3,897.18
MX$88,196.05
NOK 49,632.71
SEK 45,385.43
DKK 31,147.37
About the Item
Beautiful 17th century posey ring with the engraving "A Frende's Gifte" engraved in an early form of Middle English. Posey rings were popular in both France and England between the 1400's and 1700's and were gifts between lovers. Posey rings were typically 22 carat (the gold standard in England before 1775). Early seventeenth century posy rings have the characteristic hand engraving in Roman capitals as well as italicized letters, and always on the inside of the ring, so as to be a secret between the 2 lovers.
Sir John Evans had a posey ring w/this inscription including the spelling of “frende” and “gifte” in his collection, it is possible that this ring originated from his collection. A posey ring reading “A Friends Gift” is featured on the back of the book jacket, ENGLISH POSIES AND POSY RINGS” (shown below in images).
The word "frende" in this context means "love". On the equating of friend and lover, here is the posey attached to the poem 'A Letter sent from beyond the Seaes to his Louer, perswading her to continew her loue towrds him' in A
Gorgeous Gallery of Gallant Inventions (1578, Ed. Rollins, p.77):
A Ringe I sende, wherein is pende, a Posie (if you reede)
Whereby you may, perceaue alway, of what I most haue neede.
By mee your frende, unto the ende, if you therto agree,
Although not so, your louing foe, I still perforce must bee.'**
And in Epitaphs and Sonnets (1567), George Turberville writes a poem "To His Friend urging her not to change...' The sonnet reads:
Change not thy choice (my deere)
stand stable in goodwill.
Let ancient faithful lover appere
betwixt us lovers still.***
The name “posey” derives from the French word “poésie”. and references the concise sayings engraved on the inside band (so the message was seen known to the couple). Goldsmiths maintained published collections in their libraries from which their customers could custom choose the inscriptions.
This ring is can be sized as there is a large gap with no lettering on the inside of the ring where the sizing could occur.
There is an intrinsic beauty of the high carat gold and the flourishes in the engraved inscription (the f and t in gift were crossed with one only one line, so the engraver did not have to lift his engraving tool, the other letters have charming little flourishes as well) add whimsy to this very special and early ring.
There is a posy ring with the same inscription and spelling (but a different overall appearance) listed in the Portable Antiquities Scheme under Record ID: WAW-5014BB.
5.75 grams in weight.
**The sonnets mentioned in this posey ring listing are attributed to
'I Like My Choyse: Posy Rings from the Griffin Collection" by Diana Scarisbrick, p. 151, 2021.
***Ibid.
Resizing is available.
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