Medieval Crusaders Bronze finger ring with blue glass stone - 23 mm (No reserve price)

Medieval Crusaders Bronze Finger Ring with Blue Glass Stone

Culture / Period: Medieval, Crusaders
Date / Period: 11th–14th century A.D.
Material: Bronze with blue glass inlay
Dimensions: Outer diameter: 23 mm
Condition: Good condition.

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 777
The current owner purchased this object from a reputable Dutch numismatic auction house in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Due to privacy regulations, the name of the previous owner could not be disclosed. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:

This medieval bronze finger ring dates to the Crusader period and is set with a blue glass cabochon mounted in a decorative floral bezel. The bezel is formed as a stylised rosette, a popular ornamental motif in medieval jewellery that symbolised beauty, renewal, and, in Christian contexts, could also evoke purity and paradise. The surviving blue glass insert enhances the visual appeal of the ring and reflects the widespread medieval use of coloured glass as an affordable alternative to precious gemstones.

Finger rings of this type were worn by both men and women throughout the Crusader States and the wider medieval world. They served not only as personal ornaments but also as visible expressions of status, wealth, devotion, or cultural identity. During the Crusader period, jewellery styles developed through the interaction of Western European, Byzantine, and Islamic artistic traditions, resulting in distinctive forms that combined decorative elegance with practical craftsmanship.

The ring was cast in bronze and subsequently finished by hand before the coloured glass cabochon was carefully set into its raised bezel. Bronze jewellery fitted with glass settings was produced in specialised workshops and circulated widely through the trade networks linking the eastern Mediterranean with Europe. Such rings were common possessions among pilgrims, merchants, settlers, and members of the Crusader communities established in the Levant.

Dating to the 11th–14th century A.D., this ring belongs to a period marked by intense cultural exchange between East and West. Jewellery from this era reflects both the mobility of people and the transmission of artistic techniques across regions connected by commerce, pilgrimage, and military campaigns.