C. 1000-1500 AD. Crusader period. A bronze ring with a circular hoop and elliptical bezel, bearing an engraved prancing lion. During the Middle Ages, lions were symbols of English kings with a reputation for bravery and Lions were frequently depicted in English heraldry, both of the kings of themselves and their supporters. 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. This ring may once have belonged to an English knight. Excellent condition; beautiful patina.Size: D: 17.97mm / US: 7 3/4 / UK: P 1/2; 7.35g; Provenance: Property of a London gallery, previously in old British collection formed in the 1970s.