C. 1000-1500 AD. Crusader period. A bronze archer’s ring comprising a circular hoop and projecting triangular guard bearing an engraved floral motif. An archer’s ring was worn on the thumb to protect the skin when the bowstring was drawn. The Crusades were military expeditions, beginning in the late 11th century, that were organized by western European Christians in response to centuries of Muslim wars of expansion in the Holy Lands. People of all social classes took place in the Crusades, from heavily armed knights to humble peasants using improvised weapons, all in pursuit of salvation in the afterlife. Excellent condition; beautiful patina.Size: D: 23.47mm / US: / UK: Z+4; 8.2g; Provenance: Property of a London gallery, previously in old British collection formed in the 1970s.