The Æthelwulf ring

AN00084494_001_l. Gold finger-ring, the Æthelwulf ring, the hoop flat and rising in front to a high mitre-shaped bezel. In the triangular portion a conventional 'tree', dividing the field into two halves, is flanked by two peacocks, all reserved in the metal upon a ground of niello; in the two lower corners are panels with foliage in relief without niello. The two disks with rosettes, which form part of the central ' tree', are treated in the same manner. Round the hoop is the nielloed inscription: preceded by a cross. The back of the hoop has a circle containing a rosette upon a nielloed ground, flanked by foliate designs, one of which is interlaced. All these images are © Trustees of the British Museum. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the British Museum's Terms and Conditions (http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_this_site/terms_of_use/free_image_service.aspx). The full image collection is available at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database.aspx where you can also order high resolution copies.