Medieval Crusaders Bronze ring with blue glass stone - 17 mm (No reserve price)

Medieval Crusaders Bronze Ring with Blue Glass Stone

Culture / Period: Medieval, Crusaders
Date / Period: 11th–14th century A.D.
Material: Bronze with blue glass stone
Dimensions: Outer diameter: 25 mm
Condition: Good condition.

No shipping outside theopean 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 theopean Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 792
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 bronze finger ring dates to the Crusader period and is set with a domed blue glass insert secured within a raised bezel. Rings incorporating coloured glass were widely worn throughout the medieval eastern Mediterranean, where glass offered an attractive and affordable alternative to precious gemstones while still conveying colour, symbolism, and status.

During the 11th–14th centuries A.D., the Crusader States formed a meeting point between Westernope, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world. Jewellery produced and worn in these regions reflects this rich cultural interaction. Bronze rings fitted with blue glass settings are well known from archaeological excavations in the Levant and display a combination of Western medieval ring forms with decorative traditions long established in Byzantine and Near Eastern workshops.

Blue was a particularly significant colour in medieval material culture. It was associated with the heavens, divine protection, fidelity, and spiritual purity. Although it cannot be stated that every blue glass ring carried a specific symbolic meaning, coloured settings were often chosen for both their visual appeal and their perceived protective qualities. Such rings could be worn by pilgrims, merchants, soldiers, and local inhabitants alike.

The ring was cast in bronze and carefully finished before the bezel was fitted with a separately manufactured glass cabochon. Medieval glassmakers possessed highly developed techniques for producing coloured glass in a wide range of shades, and these decorative settings became common in personal jewellery throughout the Crusader period. Similar examples have been recovered from castles, settlements, pilgrimage centres, and urban excavations across the eastern Mediterranean.

Dating to the 11th–14th century A.D., this ring belongs to a period characterised by extensive trade, pilgrimage, and cultural exchange. It illustrates the blending of Latin, Byzantine, and Islamic artistic traditions that defined much of the material culture of the Crusader era.

This piece forms a tangible connection to the medieval world, where personal rings such as this combined practical everyday wear with attractive craftsmanship and reflected the diverse artistic influences that flourished throughout the Crusader period.