Vervel
1600-1650
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A vervel (also spelled 'varvel'), or hawking ring, is a small metal ring, often of silver, which was part of the equipment used by hunters who hunted with birds. A bird had a leather jess, or thong, tied to each leg, at the end of which was a vervel. The vervels had two functions, the most important of which was to identify the bird with its owner, as hunting birds were expensive to train and maintain. Many vervels are engraved with the owner's name or place of residence. This example, the pair to V&A M.143-1984, records that the bird's owner was Governor of Nottingham. The other function of the vervel was to attach the jesses on the bird's legs to a leash, which in turn tied the bird to its perch or block.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, inscribed |
| Brief description | Vervel, silver, Britain, 1600-1650. |
| Physical description | Varvel, silver, in the form of an annular ring, inscribed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Engraved, in English, 'Gouern[or] · of · Nottingham *' |
| Summary | A vervel (also spelled 'varvel'), or hawking ring, is a small metal ring, often of silver, which was part of the equipment used by hunters who hunted with birds. A bird had a leather jess, or thong, tied to each leg, at the end of which was a vervel. The vervels had two functions, the most important of which was to identify the bird with its owner, as hunting birds were expensive to train and maintain. Many vervels are engraved with the owner's name or place of residence. This example, the pair to V&A M.143-1984, records that the bird's owner was Governor of Nottingham. The other function of the vervel was to attach the jesses on the bird's legs to a leash, which in turn tied the bird to its perch or block. |
| Bibliographic reference | Lewis, M. and I. Richardson. 'Inscribed vervels'. In: Post-Medieval Archaeology, vol. 51, no. 1 (2017), pp. 194-200. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.143A-1984 |
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| Record created | September 10, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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