Ca. 1300-1500 AD. A wearable silver ring with a circular band, slightly flared shoulders, and an oval bezel decorated with an incised star of David. Good condition. The star of David - in Hebrew, 'Magen David', i.e. the shield of David" - is a symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star. The symbol - which historically was not limited to use by Jews - originated in antiquity, when, side by side with the five-pointed star, it served as a magical sign or as a decoration. In the Middle Ages, the Star of David appeared with greater frequency among Jews but did not assume any special religious significance. The Jewish community of Prague was the first to use the Star of David as its official symbol, and from the 17th century on the six-pointed star became the official seal of many Jewish communities and a general sign of Judaism, though it has no biblical or Talmudic authority. For more information on Medieval rings, see Tait, H. (1986). Seven Thousand Years of Jewellery. British Museum Press, London.; Ward. A. et al (1981). The Ring from Antiquity to the Twentieth Century. Thames and Hudson, London; Hinton, D. (1982). Medieval Jewellery. Shire Publications, Princes Risborough. Size: D: 17.45mm / US: 7 1/4 / UK: O1/2; 8g. Provenance: Property of a London gentleman, part of his family collection formed in the 1980s-2000.