A medieval gold ring from the 9th/10th century is being acquired by the Dutch state. The ring, found in 1997, has been designated a protected cultural object since 2022 to preserve it for the Dutch cultural heritage. With the purchase of the ring, the object will become part of the State Collection, thus keeping it on display for the whole of the Netherlands.
Education, Culture and Science Minister Letschert: “I am delighted that we are acquiring this medieval gold ring. Special finds like this deserve a place in the National Collection. That way we all have a little ownership and as many people as possible can continue to admire it.”
The ring was found in 1997 in the Frisian town of Sumar by a metal detector amateur. It is a medieval gold ring with a representation of the Lamb of God surrounded by the 4 evangelists. Hardly any rings with Christian symbolism from this place and period have survived. This makes the ring the symbol of the Christianisation of Friesland.
Protected cultural heritage
Former minister Bruins initiated the process of protection after a request was made to export the ring for sale abroad. The ring will be purchased for the National Collection at a cost of €83,150 with money from the Museum Acquisition Fund. This purchase process is now being finalised. The ring will be loaned to a yet-to-be-determined museum in the Netherlands so that it remains accessible to the public.
The Netherlands protects privately owned cultural heritage through the Heritage Act (2016). Objects deemed “irreplaceable and indispensable” are designated and may not be exported abroad for sale without ministerial permission. We do this because cultural objects are important to our cultural identity and history. When something is gone, it often never comes back.
Nederlands 
English (UK) 
Français 