A fede ring is a ring in which two hands clasp, as in friendship, love or betrothal. The design was used in Ancient Rome and possibly earlier, becoming prominent from the 12th century onward. The word fede is from the Italian phrase ().Rose, M. B. (1988). Essays on sexuality, influence, and performance. Evanston, Ill, Northwestern University Press, and the Newberry Library Center for Renaissance Studies.Ramsey, L. G. G. (1955) The concise encyclopedia of antiques, Volume 1, Hawthorn BooksWeinstein, R. (2004). Marriage rituals Italian style: A historical anthropological perspective on early modern Italian Jews. Leiden, Brill
History The fede ring, having originated in Rome, did not get its name until its Middle Ages reappearance where it mirrored the tradition of handfasting and signified matrimony. In other instances, the ring had been given as a symbol of unending faithfulness or platonic love. Fede rings would also be designed with two bands that the couple could wear up to the day of marriage [where they would unite the bands into one whole ring].
See also Claddagh ring Puzzle ring Gimmal ring
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