53 - A Medieval silver talismanic inscribed ring, circa 15th century, the silver D-section band inscribed to the exterior in black letter script ‘Tetra grammaton’ with foliate sprigs between, with an applied bezel in the form of a heart sprouting quatrefoil flowerheads, ring size Y, weight 9.0gm. £500-£600

A Medieval silver talismanic inscribed ring, circa 15th century, the silver D-section band inscribed to the exterior in black letter script ‘Tetra grammaton’ with foliate sprigs between, with an applied bezel in the form of a heart sprouting quatrefoil flowerheads, ring size Y, weight 9.0gm. £500-£600 --- The inscription to the band ‘Tetragrammaton’ directly translates from Greek as ‘4 letters’, and was a title given to the name of God when written in Hebrew - יהוה, which was considered too sacred to be said out loud. In the 13th century, St Thomas Aquinas wrote a theological treaty on the most suitable name to use when referring to God, and Tetragrammaton was considered the most appropriate to convey God’s mystery. In her 1922 work, Magical Jewels, Dame Joan Evans suggests that this is one of a number of names/words used as ‘magical’ inscriptions on jewels in the Medieval period, used as charms to provide the wearer with relief or protection from ills. For other examples of Medieval jewels inscribed with this word see British Museum ref: AF.897 and 1894,1014.1. Literature: Maurer, A., St Thomas on the sacred name Tetragrammaton, pub. Medieval Studies, Vol 34, Issue 1, January 1972, p.275-286. Evans, J., Magical Jewels of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, pub. Clarendon Press, 1922. Condition Report XRF test results: Au 1.14, Ag 92.99, Fe 0.451, Cu 3.82, Zn 0.127, Pb 1.4, Bi 0.068. ------ For more information, additional images and to bid on this lot please go to the auctioneer's website, www.noonans.co.uk