Rings for the finger : $b from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.Kunz, George Frederick
History
Rings for the finger : $b from the earliest known times to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archæology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc.
Kunz, George Frederick
Rings; Rings -- Folklore
A pendant to this is a ring given either to Luther or his wife, as a
memento of his marriage, by some friend. This is of the type of gimmal
rings, divisible but not separable. On one hoop the setting is a
diamond, on the other a ruby. The bezel separates into two halves when
the ring is opened, and reveals on the two hidden sides the initials C
V D and M L D, for Catharina von Bora and Martin Luther, Doctor. On the
inner side of the conjoined hoops is the inscription: “_Was Got zusamen
fiegt sol kein mensch scheiden_” (Those whom God hath joined, shall no
man put asunder), in the old German spelling.[379] The diamond is on
the Luther side of the divided bezel, and signifies power, durability
and fidelity; the ruby on the side marked with the wife’s initials
is taken to mean exalted love. Both this ring and the one already
described are believed to have been designed by the artist, Lucas
Cranach, who was a friend of Luther’s and assisted at his marriage. The
ring is in the Grossherzogliches Museum at Brunswick.
A very noteworthy ring, in the Waterton Collection at the Victoria
and Albert Museum, London, belonged to Henry, Lord Darnley, and
commemorated his marriage with Mary, Queen of Scots. On the bezel are
the initials M H, entwined with a true-love knot, and within the hoop
is engraved HENRI L. DARNLEY, and the date, 1565. Between the
two groups of letters constituting the inscription, is figured a lion
rampant on a carved shield. This ring is said to have been found in the
ruins of Fotheringay Castle, where Mary Stuart was executed.[380]
A peculiar class of rings bears the name of “gimmal rings.” This
designation is derived from the Latin _gemelli_, “twins,” and
indicates the form of the ornament. Two rings are joined together by a
pivot so that when united they constitute a single ring, although they
can be easily separated. On each circlet there is a band, so disposed
that when both are brought together the hands are clasped and hold the
separate rings in place. Occasionally, there are three or more rings
combined in the same way, the designation “gimmal ring” being used for
these also. The following lines by Herrick refer to this latter type:
“Thou sent’st to me a true-love knot; but I
Return a Ring of _jimmals_ to imply
Thy love had one knot, mine a _triple_ tye.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account