Posy rings derive their name from the word ‘poesy’ – meaning short rhyme. The rings communicate messages of love between the giver and the recipient with the wearing of words against the skin thought to increase their potency.
Many have been discovered as a treasure trove by metal-detecting enthusiasts. However, the particularly heavy example offered by Plymouth Auction Rooms (20% buyer’s premium), below, in Cattledown on November 30, had been handed down through the same Cornish family for generations. With the inscription My Hart I Bynde Where Faith I Finde, it sold at £3400.
Chicago and Paris dealer Les Enluminures is encouraging social media users to create a modern-day posy inscription. For the chance to win an autographed copy of Take this Ring: Medieval and Renaissance Rings from the Griffin Collection, co-authored by Sandra Hindman, compose and tweet your 21st century posy using the hashtag #LEposycompetition
