IN 1863, A MYSTERIOUS TERRACOTTA pot was discovered in the
wall of a French sweet shop. Handymen stumbled upon it while renovating the
building in Colmar, a commune in the riparian region of Alsace. Upon closer
inspection, this proved to be no ordinary piece of pottery. The pot held a
collection of medieval treasures: 384 silver coins and 14 gold and
gem-encrusted rings, to be exact.
Now these precious items, which date to around the year 1300, are on display at
The Met Cloisters in New York City, on loan from Paris’s Musée de Cluny. One
artifact in particular—a ceremonial wedding ring—is giving art historians
insight into who owned the treasure chest and why it was concealed.
Made of gold and decorated with colored enamel, the wedding ring is the most
ornate and skillfully constructed piece in the collection. When it was
discovered in the 19th century, after having been hidden for 500 years, it was
still in good condition.
Read more about the hidden treasures that were found in 1863, but not displayed until now online HERE
