INELE CU PLACĂ ORNAMENTATĂ CU PENTAGRAMĂ
FINGER RINGS WITH PENTAGRAM DECORATED PLATES

Summary/Abstract: Plate finger rings were decorated with various geometric, vegetal or zoomorphic motifs. A variant of the finger ring has an oval or circular plate, engraved with a pentagram. Pentagram rings are considered to be among the most widely spread jewels of the Byzantine culture area in the second half of the tenth century and first half of the eleventh century. It is believed that they remain in use even in the twelfth century. This ancient pagan symbol (pentagram) was eventually adopted by Christianity. The pentagram after the fourth century makes its way as one of the main Christian symbols. It is defined as an expression of the geometric concept of man - four links or angles representing the limbs and the head. From the pentagram evolves the idea of Christ God-Man and of his five injuries (stigmata), indicated by the peaks of the pentagram. Symbolically speaking, the pentagram is the star of Bethlehem which led the Magi to find the truth. From another perspective, the tops / peaks of the pentagram symbolize the five wounds (stigmata) of Christ, from which salvation flows. Rings with this decoration occur in archaeological finds from Bulgaria, Dobrudja (Romania), Dalmatia, Corinth, Hungary and Slovakia. P. Gatev places the pentagram rings in the type II-1 and dates them between the tenth century and first half of the eleventh century (Hvoina, Liubenovo, Mineralni Bani, Zlatograd). After G. Atanasov and V. Grigorov, the pentagram rings (type III) are quite commonly spread in the old Bulgarian culture. The artefacts of this kind were made of bronze and 1-3 copies were identified in a single tomb. Most often, the ring is closed and the pentagram is designed in a simple manner on the plate or framed in a circle. Some rings show groups of points / dots (4-7) located between the corners of the plate ornament. On other pieces, the dots are missing or completely enclose the pentagram. The widened and decorated plate is framed on both sides with incised decorations - one or two plain "x" s, occasionally cut by a hasta. Rings decorated with a pentagram often associatie with beads, collars (1 b), grape-shaped ear rings, twisted bracelets with ends in the form of loops (form 4), ceramic vessels, bells (form 10), studs (11a, b), rings with dot circles (form 36), rings with eagle decoration (Szentes-Szentlászló / M. 67, Djerahovi Nivi / M 1), loop rings, beads, rings with bird decoration (Kiszombor B / M 202) or plant ornamentation (Szentes-Szentlászló / M. 26, PRSA / M 76). Additional archaeological material analysis allows a classification of the pentagram rings between the mid tenth century and no later than the beginning of the eleventh century.

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