Jewish wedding ring
Type:
Jewelry
Date:
ca. 1300
Medium:
Gold
Dimensions:
Height of 3.5 cm
Description:
This ritual wedding ring, with its hexagonal temple-like architecture on the bezel, is similar to another Jewish ring discovered as part of the Erfurt hoard. On the "roof" of the miniature building are Hebrew letters spelling "mazel tov" (good luck). Such rings were too large for day-to-day wear and were only used during the ceremony. Although this example was found in France, it may have been produced in Italy. Much like the objects in the Erfurt hoard, this ring was part of a hoard of coins and jewelry (the Colmar Treasure) buried during the Black Death in response to increasing anti-Semitism.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
9
Repository and Online Resources:
• The ring is now in the Musée de Cluny, Paris.
• Read more about the Colmar Treasure.
Image Credits:
Wikimedia Commons
