Signet Ring
15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring would have been used as a signet, pressed into hot wax to seal a letter or packet. Personal seals (secreta) provided an essential legal safeguard and were used to witness documents such as wills, deeds of gift, loans and commercial documents, personal letters and land indentures. A letter from Lord Berengario in Verona in 906 underscores the importance of the signet:
‘So that this may be more truly believed and more faithfully observed, we order this to be sealed with our ring, confirming it with our own hand’.
Signets could be engraved with a coat of arms for those entitled to bear them, with a personal device or simply with an initial letter. The coat of arms on this ring may be that of the Des Lacs family of Gascony, whilst the name 'Iuhanis de lasu' is that of the ring's owner.
‘So that this may be more truly believed and more faithfully observed, we order this to be sealed with our ring, confirming it with our own hand’.
Signets could be engraved with a coat of arms for those entitled to bear them, with a personal device or simply with an initial letter. The coat of arms on this ring may be that of the Des Lacs family of Gascony, whilst the name 'Iuhanis de lasu' is that of the ring's owner.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Engraved silver |
| Brief description | Silver signet ring with an octagonal bezel engraved with a coat of arms and inscribed in black letter with the name iuhanis de lasu, France, 15th century |
| Physical description | Silver signet ring with an octagonal bezel engraved with a coat of arms and inscribed in black letter with the name iuhanis de lasu |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | inscribed with the name iuhanis de lasu Note in black letter |
| Object history | Charles Oman (Catalogue of Rings) interprets the arms as 'three barrulets impaling a castle'. He suggests that the arms resemble those of the Des Lacs family of Gascony and Guyenne (Rietstep Armorial General). |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This ring would have been used as a signet, pressed into hot wax to seal a letter or packet. Personal seals (secreta) provided an essential legal safeguard and were used to witness documents such as wills, deeds of gift, loans and commercial documents, personal letters and land indentures. A letter from Lord Berengario in Verona in 906 underscores the importance of the signet: ‘So that this may be more truly believed and more faithfully observed, we order this to be sealed with our ring, confirming it with our own hand’. Signets could be engraved with a coat of arms for those entitled to bear them, with a personal device or simply with an initial letter. The coat of arms on this ring may be that of the Des Lacs family of Gascony, whilst the name 'Iuhanis de lasu' is that of the ring's owner. |
| Bibliographic reference | Oman, Charles, Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, cat. 518 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 142-1907 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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