Is this ancient Roman ring the inspiration for The Lord of the Rings?

J.R.R. Tolkien supposedly did research on the artifact before publishing his epic fantasy

The cursed ring that may have inspired JRR Tolkien.
(Image credit: nationaltrust.org.uk)

The ring at the center of The Lord of the Rings, the classic fantasy epic by J.R.R. Tolkien, may have been inspired by an ancient Roman artifact currently on display in a Tudor mansion in England.

The exhibition at the mansion, known as The Vyne, is jointly sponsored by Britain's National Trust and the Tolkien Society. Tolkien reportedly did some research on the ring in 1929, long before the publication of The Hobbit in 1937 and the first installment of The Lord of the Rings in 1954.

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.