Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/363

^i)£ Hrrljacolorjiral SournaU DECEMBER, 1872. ON A ROMAN KEY-LIKE FINGER RING OF GOLD, AND A BYZANTINE BICEPHALIC SIGNET OF THE SAJ!^ METAL. By C. DRURY E. FORTN'UM, F.S.A. On two former occasions ^ I have ventured to direct attention to certain finger rings of the Early Christian and immediately succeeding periods, the great interest of which arises from typical representations occurring upon them, symbolic of the, then, newly-promulgated and adopted i'aith. Through the kind courtesy of my friend Mr. Augustus W, Franks, Director of the Societ} of Antiquaries, I am now enabled to supplement these notices by a description of two rings, recently added to his choice Dadyliotheca, each of which is of singular interest and rarity. It may be recollected that in my last paper (at page 290 of our twent3'^-eighth volume) I described and figured a key finger-ring of bronze, the projection from the bezel of which is pierced with the figure of a Greek cross, corresponding to the wards of the latch-lock it was intended to open, and I urged that this device war- ranted the presumption, that it had been made for the use of a believer in that symbol of the atonement. In confirmation of my opinion I referred to a key-ring, of similar model, preserved in the Christian Museum at the Vatican, and which is believed to have been found in one of the cata- combs. The key-like ring now under consideration might seem to liave been formed for similar use, but is of a more noble ma- terial and far more dainty fashion. In this respect nothing indeed can be more elegant, the artistic workmanshi]) corre- ' Arch. Journal, vol. xxvi. p. 137, and vol. xxviii. p. 26G.