Brooches were universally worn during the medieval period, and ring brooches are the most common type of medieval brooch to survive. Their practical function was to fasten garments together, especially at the neck. Shaped as rings, with a long central pin, these brooches varied enormously in size and in decoration. This example is bifaceted, allowing for a line of Latin inscription at the inner and outer face, rather than the more usual type which has an inscription on the front and on the back. The outer facet is inscribed 'IES MI CIN VI', the inner: 'DA VI NII LV'. The meaning of these inscriptions is obscure, and they are not easily translatable.