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Masterpiece Medieval Ayyuoffer Bronze Calligraphic Signet Ring (Size 7)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Item Specifications
Object: Cast Bronze Calligraphic Signet Ring / Seal Ring (Khatam)
Culture / Period: Medieval Islamic / Ayyuoffer Dynasty (Crusades Era / Saladin Period)
Date Range: Circa 12th Century AD – 13th Century AD (c. 1171–1260 AD)
US Ring Size: Size 7 (Wearable / Fully Intact Solid Band)
Material: Solid Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)
Form & Epigraphy: Pointed oval vesica-shaped bezel deeply engraved in intaglio with an elegant Naskh/Thuluth Arabic calligraphic motto reading \"Victory Belongs to God\" (النصر بالله / Al-Nasr Billah) within a raised linear border; flat-topped plate supported by distinctive faceted trumpet shoulders joining a slender, round shank
Condition: Exceptional, complete archaeological state. Unbroken, perfectly round shank, ultra-sharp calligraphic cut preserved beneath a smooth olive-tan cuprite patina with pale desert-earthen soil highlights in the recessed lettering.
Historical Context & Crusader-Era Ayyuoffer Military Lore
The Ayyuoffer Dynasty & Religious Inscriptions (Al-Nasr Billah)
During the height of the Crusades in the Holy Land, the Ayyuoffer Sultanate—founded by Saladin (Salah ad-Din)—used pious Islamic victory slogans on official seals, military standards, and warrior signet rings. The motto \"Victory Belongs to God\" (Al-Nasr Billah) was a cornerstone phrase of the era, serving as an official signature mark, a battle cry, and an apotropaic talisman for commanders and high-ranking officers in battle (Ref: Spink, Islamic Jewellery, Spink & Son, 1986; Content, Islamic Rings and Gems: The Benjamin Zucker Collection, Philip Wilson Publishers, 1987).
Sealing Mechanics & High-Status Metalwork
Forged with a prominent flat vesica bezel and sharply carved mirror-image intaglio script, this signet was designed to stamp legal documents, military dispatches, and supply crates with wax or soft clay. The architectural flared shoulders are characteristic of 12th–13th century Levantine craftsmanship from major metallurgical centers like Damascus and Aleppo.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Exact Typological Classification
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
British Museum (Accession No. 1980,1001.3): Ayyuoffer period bronze signet ring with Arabic calligraphic bezel inscription.
David Collection, Copenhagen (Inv. No. 31/1997): 12th–13th century Syrian bronze seal ring with religious invocation.
Ashmolean Museum (Accession No. EA1984.85): Ayyuoffer bronze signet ring with pointed oval calligraphic bezel.
TRN-1-4
