In
the large oval bezel of a fine Syrian ring is set a paste representing
a topaz. The shoulders expand to form the bezel. This ring, the lower
half of which has been broken off, shows an exceptionally fine patina;
it was of large size and must have been a striking ornament on the
wearer's hand. As the broad oval extends across the hoop, not at right
angles with it, it must have interfered slightly with a free use of
the fingers near the one on which the ring was worn.
In
the Philippine Islands a type of ring that is made by the natives has a
number of spiral twists, from five to as many as a dozen coils
appearing in these rings. The serpentine form is accentuated by a
pattern of dots or cross-marking, with sometimes the indication of a
conventional flower design. While rather clumsy for wear, these rings
still possess a certain artistic quality. Fine examples are in the
Ethnological Department of the American Museum of Natural History, New
York City.
The
ancient city of refuge, Machu Picchu, probably built by the Incas
nearly 2000 years ago on a Peruvian mountain top, was uncovered by the
National Geographic Society—Yale University Peruvian Expedition of
1912, of which Dr. Hiram Ringham was the director. Among the many
interesting relics found on this unique site were some silver rings,
one being of the twisted type, with the ends free, so as to suit the
size of any finger, while another has been welded or hammered into a
closed circlet. While it is impossible to date these rings with any
approach to exactness, they are undoubtedly examples of the art of
native Peruvian silversmiths prior to the Spanish Conquest.24
Rings in great variety are worn in the Congo region
24 Hiram Ringham, " The Story of Machu Picchu," in The National Geographic Magazine, February, 1915, pp. 172—217.
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