In the late Middle Ages, goldsmiths and silversmiths became increasingly interested in the ancient Fede symbol. Influenced in particular by the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine in France and England in the 12th century, the united right hands became a symbol for courtly unfulfilled love, the Minne. As with the ancient Romans, the mani in fede were soon seen as a general sign of friendship, loyalty, respect and love and were processed into friendship and wedding rings.
Until about the middle of the 14th century in the Holy Roman Empire, jewellery was reserved for church dignitaries and the nobility, so it was mainly made for spiritual and secular power. When the bourgeoisie grew stronger around 1350, the prosperous professions such as merchants, cloth merchants, money changers, goldsmiths and salt workers began to adorn themselves. So that the bourgeois social climbers could not put themselves on an equal footing with the nobility, dress codes and laws on the wearing of jewellery were enacted in the late Middle Ages, which clearly differentiated the individual classes from one another.
The presented ring may have belonged to the proud wife of a draper or merchant. It was made of bronze and gilded, so at first glance it looked like a noblewoman's gold ring. The bezel consists of the two interlaced right hands. The cuffs are decorated with simple engravings, which nestle around the wrists in two borders. Unfortunately, the gilding has worn off, but the bronze shows an attractive patina.
The Fede ring presented here is a rare example of the reception of the ancient Roman design in the late Middle Ages and early modern times. It impresses with its simple, original, powerfully rustic design language and, simply because of its old age, pleads for eternal love!