The Ancient Medieval Green & Gold Bishop's Stirrup Ring

Bishop's Stirrup rings were a distinct style of ring during the Medieval period. The shape of the ring rises to an apex or dome, and so furnishes its name from the shape of a horse's stirrup. It is also thought that the shape echoes the Gothic vaulting ceiling arches within cathedrals, so it is fitting that these rings were often worn by bishops, most often worn on the middle finger of the right hand, sometimes over a glove.

This ring, circa 13th to 15th Century AD, is set centrally with a green glass cabochon. The shoulders are decorated with a floral motif, the small dish on the shoulders may have contained additional decorative element such as inlaid niello or enamel. The independent report grades the condition as "very good condition commensurate with item's age", and the ring is fully wearable.

Size: O½ UK/AU, 7¼ US/CA, 55½ FR/RU, 17½ DE

Provenance: Property of an English collector; acquired from John Moor, York, UK, in the late 1990s.

Documentation: Accompanied by an independent specialist report and valuation by graduate gemmologist and jewellery expert Anna Rogers, GIA GG, BA, Gem-A, ref. no.168701/07/12/2020; Clean Interpol Database of stolen works of art search report and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10463-168701.

Please note that this ring is excluded from our Free Resizing service, as an ancient artefact we will not alter it.