18th Century Scottish Posy Ring
Forget me not... An 18th century posy ring, likely Scottish, made under the reign of king James VII (II in England and Ireland) prior to the 1707 Act of Union with England during a time known as the Scottish Enlightenment. The message engraved inside the band reads, Forgeet me not (yes, that's two 'e's in forget), and the sentiment is quite clear. There's further personalisation by way of the engraved initials, EI. It's crafted in 18 carat gold and was made at the turn of the century, circa 1700.
Posy rings, or "love rings", are perhaps the most personal rings of all, being often associated with love and marriage. They contain a secret message from giver to receiver, hidden within, designed to be worn against the skin making the message even more poignant. Most popular throughout the 16th to late 18th centuries, they were exchanged as love tokens, betrothal or wedding rings, and are the inspiration for modern wedding bands. The term posy is late Middle English, with roots in old French and ultimately ancient Greek. It means, simply, poem or poetic verse. As noted above, with Nerissa's angry lament in The Merchant of Venice (Gratiano had, after all, parted with the ring she gave him after swearing he would keep it until his death), Shakespeare was familiar with the use of posy rings. He also mentions them in Hamlet when the king, addressed by the Prologue before a play enacted at court, asks: "Is this the prologue or the posy of a ring?"
The forget-me-not takes its name from a tragic German folk tale set on the banks of the Danube. A young couple on the eve of their wedding day are taking a walk on the river bank when the bride spots a cluster of small blue flowers by the water. Her gallant fiancé reaches down to pick them for her but, losing his footing, he's swept away by the turbulent waters. With his last breath he managed to utter the words, "Vergiss mein nicht!" as the threw the flowers at the feet of his beloved. The anglicisation is generally attributed to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who spent time in Germany and would almost certainly have become familiar with the tale.
Era: Scottish Enlightenment, circa 1700
Ring size: H 1/2 or 4 US. Resizeable for £55
Band width: 2.7mm
Marks: None, tested as 18ct gold
Condition: Good antique condition, light wear consistent with age
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An inscription can be added inside the band, where space allows. Add 2-3 weeks to shipping times
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