Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Antique Renaissance Gold Fede Ring

About the Item

Fede ring Western Europe, 16th - 17th century Gold Weight 3.8 gr; Circumference 61.64 mm; US size 9 3/4; UK Size T ¼ A delightful, sculpturesque Fede ring conveying love and loyalty Plain gold hoop with capital-like shoulders decorated with scrolls and floral ornament. The bezel is formed of two clasped right hands with cuffs, known as a “fede” motif. Some engraved ornamentation suggests of the ring was partly enameled. The ring shows signs of wear with a minor notch on the lower part. The ring is in good wearable condition. Literature: The symbolism of the joined right hands goes back to Roman Antiquity and was then known as “dextrarum iunctio.” The right hand was sacred to the Fides, the goddess of trust and good faith. In Roman times, the joining of the right hands by a betrothed couple was a sign of loyalty and marked the conclusion of a marriage contract, much like the tradition today during modern wedding ceremonies. This motif continued to be popular throughout Western Europe for betrothal and wedding rings from the medieval and Renaissance periods into the 20th century, and are known as fede rings (from the Italian for trust or loyalty). Similar examples are in the Alice and Louis Koch Collection in the Swiss National Museum, Zurich (Chadour, vol. 1, nos. 728-730 and 732); Griffin Collection on deposit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Hindman/Scott Miller 2015, no. 41) and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Scarisbrick/Henig, 2003, pp. 48-49, no. 4).
  • Ring Size:
    9.75 US, Not Resizable
  • Metal:
  • Weight:
    3.8 g
  • Style:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    16th - 17th century
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: R-10321stDibs: LU2334221420042
More From This SellerView All
  • Antique Gold Fede Gimmel Ring with Ruby and Diamond
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Gimmel Fede RIng with Inscription "GAGE D'AMITIE" Probably England, c. 1750 Gold, ruby and diamonds Weight 6.5 gr., US size 8.25, UK size Q ½ This gold ring...
    Category

    Antique Mid-18th Century Engagement Rings

    Materials

    Diamond, Ruby, Gold

  • Antique Gold Italian Renaissance Cameo Ring
    Located in Chicago, IL
    RENSAISSANCE CAMEO RING Italy? 16th century in a 20th century setting Gold and sardonyx Weight 6.5 gr.; bezel 16.1 x 16.9 x 7.4 mm.; circumference 50.3 mm.; US size 5½; UK size L In this oblong cameo, the bust of a woman wearing a necklace but otherwise nude stands above a blue ground. While her breast faces forward, her head is rendered in a strict profile and her hands gesture to her right. The minimalist gold setting is modern and dates to the twentieth century. Cameos depicting nude female figures became popular in the court circles of sixteenth-century Italy, where newly-formed princely collections of ancient gems served as models for contemporary hardstone artists. Following ancient practice, the artist responsible for the current cameo has cut into two layers of the multicolor agate, creating a background of milky blue that contrasts with the white flesh of the woman above. The sharp profile of the woman’s face likewise recalls the art of the ancient Romans, who often used the profile view for portraits on coins, medals, and engraved gems...
    Category

    Antique 16th Century Renaissance Fashion Rings

    Materials

    Gold

  • Renaissance Gold Marriage Ring with Table-Cut Rock Crystal
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Renaissance Marriage Ring Western Europe, late 16th century Gold, rock crystal, traces of white and black enamel Weight 4.09 g; circumference...
    Category

    Antique 16th Century European Renaissance Solitaire Rings

    Materials

    Rock Crystal, Gold

  • Antique Gold and Agate Renaissance Cameo Ring
    Located in Chicago, IL
    RENAISSANCE CAMEO RING Italy, cameo: second half of 16th century in a late 18th century ring Gold, agate , black enamel Weight 6.3 gr.; bezel 18.8 x 16.9 x 6.5 mm.; circumference 58.4 mm.; US size 8¾; UK size R Cameo of a nude female bust...
    Category

    Antique Late 17th Century Italian Renaissance More Rings

    Materials

    Agate, Gold

  • Renaissance Gemstone Ring with Garnet and Enamel
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Renaissance Gemstone Ring Northern Italy, 16th century Gold, garnet and enamel Circumference 60 mm.; weight 4 gr.; US size 9; UK size R ½ The ...
    Category

    Antique 16th Century Italian Renaissance Engagement Rings

    Materials

    Gold

  • 17th-Century Gold Band Fede Ring with Heart
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Fede Ring with Heart England, 17th century Gold, enamel Weight 1.88 gr.; circumference 44.77mm.; US size 3,1/4; UK size F 3/4 Elaborately decorated posy ring, with messages of love and affection. Gold band, flat on the interior, chased and engraved on the exterior with alternating hearts and rosette motifs. The centerpiece shows two cuffed right hands clasped together holding a heart. Inscribed inside the band in italic script: ‘For love not valer’. Traces of enamel have survived. The ring shows signs of wear through age and is in good wearable condition. The maker’s mark in rectangular punch inside the hoop has the initials ‘SW’, slightly indistinct due to the punch within the curvature of the hoop. Literature: Messages of romantic love on jewelry, and mottoes or inscriptions on plain gold bands go back to the Middle Ages. Beginning in the thirteenth century, ring brooches and rings were given as love tokens and the language of love was expressed in words and amatory motifs. Each element of this ring expresses love and affection, as well as the union of marriage. The clasped hands or ‘mani in fede’ (Italian term for hands in faith), is a motif derived from the Roman ritual of the joining of the right hands during the betrothal ceremony known as dextrarum iunctio. The right hand was considered to be sacred to Fides, the goddess of trust and good faith. The clasped hands as a symbol of love and marriage has continued in both the ceremony and rings through the centuries, even today. The alternating hearts and rosettes underline the love message concealed inside the hoop ‘For love not valer’, only to be known by the giver and recipient. The posy declares that the bond of love is more important than wealth. This fede ring is also a highly elaborate form of posy ring, which are usually simple gold bands with inscription...
    Category

    Antique 17th Century English Band Rings

    Materials

    Gold

You May Also Like
  • Italian Gimmel/Fede Gold Ring
    Located in Firenze, IT
    Gimmel Fede RIng with two heart Probably Italy, c. 1800 Gold Weight 1.03 gr., US size 8.25
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century Italian Georgian Engagement Rings

    Materials

    Gold

  • Italian Gimmel/Fede Enamel Gold Ring
    Located in Firenze, IT
    Italy, 1820 ca With light blue enamel Maker's mark Finger size: 8 Weight: 1.7 gr
    Category

    Antique 1820s Italian Band Rings

    Materials

    Yellow Gold, Gold, Enamel

  • Vintage Circa 1930s Textured Fede Loyalty Ring 15 Carat Yellow Gold
    Located in Hamilton, AU
    Loyalty, commitment, and sacrifice are virtues that sometimes endure throughout life in the strongest of relationships. The April Ring, a 15 carat gold textured Roman-inspired “Fede”...
    Category

    20th Century Unknown Modern Engagement Rings

    Materials

    Gold, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold

  • A Fede Ring Conveying Love And Loyalty 18th Century
    Located in Firenze, IT
    Yellow gold featuring two intertwined rings, each topped by a hand, meeting in the closed position. One ring is set with a rose-cut diamond. Probably 18th-century Anglican work. Fin...
    Category

    Antique 18th Century British Engagement Rings

    Materials

    18k Gold, Yellow Gold

  • Georgian 18k Gold Fede Ring
    Located in Danvers, MA
    Crafted of solid 18K buttery gold, the ring features the enduring symbol of love, friendship and partnership - two clasped hands. (Fede rings go back to the 3rd and 4th century and b...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century British Georgian Wedding Rings

    Materials

    18k Gold

  • Vintage Fede Gimmel Ring
    Located in London, GB
    Here we have a vintage fede gimmel ring. The ring is comprised of three separate 18ct yellow gold hoops linked together with the same shank split leng...
    Category

    20th Century Fashion Rings

    Materials

    Gold, Yellow Gold

Recently Viewed

View All