The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-03-26
RINGS OF THE ANCIENTS.
STYLES WORN BY THE EGYPTIANS,
ROMANS AND HEBREWS


Ornament for Their Intrinsic Value.
Some Famous Rings in History
Looking at the exhibition of modern
finger rings, the old timer is forcibly
struck by the fact that, whereas in the
good old days the decorative art and de-
sign were almost wholly expended on
the gold band itself, modern jewellers
confined themselves almost exclusively
to combinations of valuable stones. It
is very ungrateful task to spoil ro-
nance, but cold truth compels the ad-
mission that this is a practical age, which
looks largely to the matter of converti-
bility in rings, watches and valuable
presents
Actors and actresses on their travels
are seldom seen without diamond pin.
brooch, necklace or solitaire ring, be-
cause these articles represent u condensa-
ton of money in small bulk and unde-
preciable form. The finest workman
ship on the gold itself goes for nothing.
1t is simply ''old gold'-sold by weight.
1t was very different in ''the days of
old" though there were plenty of pre-
cious stones available if they had been
needed. The Pharaohs and their states
men, the princesses of Egypt and their ia
vored attendants, undoubtedly wore
rings, for quite IA number of mummies
have been found with dozen finger
rings literally distributed on the eight
fingers, besides the Indispensable thumb
rings. For it is a singular fact that for
hundreds of years after the Christian
era the custom still prevailed of wearing
the wedding ring and the masculine
token of wealth and power on the thumb.
EGYPTIAN RINGS
The ring is SO frequently alluded to in
the Old Testament as to make it plain
that the greatest importance attached to
it, even in the pastoral age. In Gen.
Xii, AZ, it is stated that Pharaoh took
off his ring from his hand and put it
on Joseph's hand as signal mark of
favor. In Esth. iii, 10, mention is made
of King Ahasuerus taking his ring from
his hand and giving it to Haman, and
the context shows that certain written
documents were sealed with the kings
ring"
The old time rings were made of all
sorts of material. Pliny mentions that
iron rings were commonly worn by be-
trothed persons. 1t seems tolerably Ger
tain that rings of gold and silver were
worn only by kings, princes and mobiles,
while less expensive circlets of brass,
ivory, iron and porcelain or glass were
worn by the average citizen.
The oldest gold Egyptian finger ring
actually preserved belonged to ANU
noph LII, who, ,reigned over Egypt four
teen centuries before Christ was born.
Rings of the date of Osirtasen and Thoth-
mes III, who were contemporaries of
L. = i
they are, of common material and doubt
full authenticity. The scarabaeus, beetle
which formed the Egyptian token of i'm
mortality from being sexuaD is COM
mon emblem in Egyptian finger rings,
and one of Poe's most extravagant '4tales
of mystery, Imagination and humor" has
a well established foundation, so far as
the scarabaeus ring is concerned. It
seems to be Uolerably certain that Egyp-
tian women wore as many rings as they
could crowd on their fingers.
ANTIQUITY OF RINGS
The Egyptians and Romans undoubt-
edly preferred the left hand for ring pur-
poses, while Cesar, Livy and Tacitus all
seem to insist that the Gauls and Britons
wore their rings on the right hand. In
any case, it seems to have been tacitly
agreed that the third finger was the place
of honor.
The Hebrew rings worn in those good
old days were very ornate and beautiful.
Quite a number Of them have been pre-
served, and they put the art of the mod
ern jeweler entirely to the blush The
most beautiful were the pledges of be-
throthal or wedding gifts. The ceremo-
MES In connection with these rings seem
to be foreshadowed in the redemption
process specified in Ruth iv, T. The
workmanship these Hebrew bethrothal
rings grew still more elaborate in the
Middle Ages, when towers and minarets
of gold were most exquisitely built up
on the hoop. The Jewish bride of this
era wore the wedding ring on the first
finger, but in Later days shifted it for
to the third.
The old style .tgemmel" or ssgem1non''
ring tevidently associated with the French
Juneau jumelle, uncommon, meaning
''twin0 is not at all an object in col
lections of antique rings
The meaning of the indivisible links is
self evident. Usually at the marriage of
the parties the links were severed, each
party wearing one of the rings. George
~ gave gemmel ring to Mrs. Fitz-
herbert. The toadstone ring was another
quaint mediseval conception. It was an
outcome of superstition and died when
died The idea of the toad
stone ring was to prevent mothers and
small children from the evil Influences of
the fairies. The smallest wedding ring
ever fashioned was that used at the mar
rage of Mary, the infant daughter of
Henry VIII of England, to the Dauphin
of France, son of Francis Z The marriage
was performed by Cardinals Wolsey and
Csmpeggio, the bridegroom being, 8
old and the bride ] year and 10
old.@Boston Globe.