with
black diamond lozenges ; the other, a sixteenth century ring, bears a
Greek inscription to the effect that " time removes all things and
brings forgetfulness ; " the sun-dial is on the inner side of this
ring, which is of silver gilt. There is also a gold astrolabe ring,
which when closed looks like an ordinary one ; but when the connected
circles are opened up, the ring constitutes a veritable astrolabe.30
A
gold " sphere-ring " in the British Museum collection has an outer
hoop in two parts, working like a gimmal, and three interior hoops
which are almost concealed when the ring is closed. The exterior hoop
is chased; on the inner surfaces, concealed from view when the ring is
closed, appears in sections the following inscription in black enamel:
Verbo Dei celi firmati sunt. Dixit et creata sunt, ipse mandavit et
creata sunt. (The heavens are founded in the word of God. He spoke and
they were created; he commanded and they were created.) After "
firmati sunt," is the date 1555. The three interior hoops bear,
enameled in black, the signs of the zodiac, stars, and other astral
figures. This ring is of German workmanship.31
In
the collection of works of art bequeathed to the British Museum in 1898
by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild, and designated as the Waddesdon Bequest,
there are several characteristic rings. Of these perhaps the most
notable is a large finger ring of gold, enameled and set with jewels,
a sixteenth century example of German workmanship. The bezel is in the
form of a clasped book ; on
80 Communicated by L. Weininger, of Vienna.
31 O.
M. Dalton, " Catalogue of Finger Rings, Early Christian, Byzantine,
Teutonic, Mediaeval and Later [British Museum]," London, 1912, p. 243,
No. 1700, Plate xxiii.
