Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/370

 su 1:UMAX KEY-LlKi: FINGEK RING OF GOLD, AND left shoulder by ca large cruciform fibula, worn with the point upwards. This would seem to be of the same kind as that massive one of gold found at Odiham in Hampshire, and figured at page 4G in Vol. ii. of our Journal, which is now preserved in the Britisli Museum. His hair is closely cut over the head, with whiskers and moustache. The hair ot" the female is dressed in a frizzed (1) coil or roll behiml, whence small ringlets, four of which arc shown, fall over the forehead ; in her ears are ear-rings formed of two large beads or j^carls, a string of ^Yhich adorns her neck. Her dress consists of a simple undcr-gar- ment, covered by one which falls over either shoulder. The workmanship of this ring is massive, but rather rude ; it weighs 445.^ (irains. 1 am inclined to ascribe it to the middle or perhaps the earlier half of the fifth centur}'. it is clearly of similar character, although, to judge from its superior art, possibly of some- what earlier date than that more simple one in ni}' own collection, described in the Journal, vol. xxviii. p. 291, and which may probably be of about a.d. 440 ; both are of gold. This fashion of double portrait signets was in use in earlier times, as witnessed by many well-known gems and metal rings. Mr. King refers to one of gold in the Uffizi at Florence, having the busts of M. Aurclius and L. Verus in- cised on the metal. As might be surmised, the habit of engi'aving in intaglio on the metal for the signet, worn as a ring, existed at a very early peiiod, both among the Etruscan' and Italiote inhabitants of Italy, and from still earlier times in Egypt. ]iy the Greeks it was much used at various periods on bronze, iron, silver, and gold, as also by the Hoinans, and j'ts practice was j)robabIy more or K'ss retaincil .-imong the ' A recent Icamod writer on the glyptio bronze onj,'nivciiz<! Iiiul come Miiron/e ringH of curly date au' alrto wtU known in colleutionH.