1000-1500 AD, Crusader Period. A silver ring with a circular hoop, curved plate bezel in the form of a shield; the shield bears an engraved cross with details picked out with applied silver circles. The Cross, the principal symbol of Christianity, recalls the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. The cross that the Crusaders wore on their robes was a symbol of martyrdom, and to die in combat was considered a great honour that assured a place in heaven. 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; wearable.Size: D: 18.35mm / US: 8 1/4 / UK: Q1/2; 7.7g; Provenance: From an old British collection, acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s.