Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 26050 - Jewellery & Objets de Vertu
Lot: 19

A POST-MEDIEVAL POSY RING - 'LOVE & LIVE HAPPY'
CIRCA 1650-1800
Plain exterior band with italic script on the inside surface 'Love & live happy'.
Tests as ~21ct Gold
Maker's mark possibly 'RE'
Size/dimensions: ring size R (US 8 3/4)
Gross weight: 2.79g

The piece shows light wear consistent with age, with no evidence of significant wear. The band is stable and suitable for wear, and the item is offered in good condition.


Provenance

Found at Painswick CP (Gloucestershire), June 2024



~ Recorded with the British Museum (ref. PAS-WILT-5CEA09) ~



The Treasure Report notes: "A number of rings with this inscription have been recorded onto the PAS database, including WILT-4CDFB8 and SUR-76F205 (2019T40) and are dated to the 17th and 18th centuries. The lettering on this ring is also consistent with a late 17th century date. Oman (1974, p.41) notes that italic lettering on this type of ring generally replaced Roman capitals in the second quarter of the 17th century - and was ubiquitous on late 17th and 18th century rings.

Joan Evans (1931, p.71) notes a ring with this inscription dated 1689, and the British Museum also has a number of rings with the same inscription, one of which is dated to the maker's mark to AD1682-1709 (BM Af. 1331), and another to c.AD1696-1720 (Af 1330)."



Posy rings, among the most enduring and intimate forms of historic jewellery, derive their name from the French word poésie, meaning poetry. Characterised by inscriptions engraved within the band, they served as personal tokens of affection, friendship, loyalty, and marriage from the late medieval period through the eighteenth century. Their concealed messages, known as "posies" or "poesies", transformed otherwise simple gold bands into deeply meaningful objects charged with emotional significance.



This ring bears the inscription LOVE & LIVE HAPPY. Similar inscriptions are known from documented examples in public and private collections, including a ring in the British Museum dating from the late eighteenth century bearing the identical motto. Variations of the sentiment, including "Live in Love" and related expressions, appear throughout the corpus of English posy rings.



The repetition of certain mottos across surviving examples suggests that goldsmiths maintained collections of popular phrases from which customers could choose.



Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£500 to £600

Starting price
£260