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Lot Essay
According to Patton, op. cit., p. 347, polished stone rings were important objects in the West European Neolithic Period, and they circulated within an extensive network, linking distant early farming communities. They vary in type of stone, based on availability, and have been found from Brittany to the Alps.
Rings found in Jersey, such as the present example, show that the islands were included in this early exchange. Jadeite rings were unquestionably imported due to the lack of resources in the Channel Islands; the most likely source of production was in the Alpine region. The ring presented here, according to Patton, op. cit., is said to be the largest example found in Jersey. While the exact provenance is not known, Patton says, "there can be little doubt" that this ring, along with three others, came from a single site in Jersey.
A symbolic and ceremonial use has been hypothesized for these rings due to their lack of obvious function as well as their burial context. Often rings were found with axes, sometimes in great quantities, indicating status with gender connotations. One find, at Mané-er-Hroek, had the butt end of an axe placed through the stone ring, flanked by two pendants, imbuing this with clear sexual symbolism. See pp. 347-52 in Patton, op cit.
Rings found in Jersey, such as the present example, show that the islands were included in this early exchange. Jadeite rings were unquestionably imported due to the lack of resources in the Channel Islands; the most likely source of production was in the Alpine region. The ring presented here, according to Patton, op. cit., is said to be the largest example found in Jersey. While the exact provenance is not known, Patton says, "there can be little doubt" that this ring, along with three others, came from a single site in Jersey.
A symbolic and ceremonial use has been hypothesized for these rings due to their lack of obvious function as well as their burial context. Often rings were found with axes, sometimes in great quantities, indicating status with gender connotations. One find, at Mané-er-Hroek, had the butt end of an axe placed through the stone ring, flanked by two pendants, imbuing this with clear sexual symbolism. See pp. 347-52 in Patton, op cit.