(23-04-2016, 03:17 PM)Helmut Winkler wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The only other medieval use I know of is investing someone with secular or ecclesiastical rule by giving him a ring, which I think is unlikely here
I agree Helmut it is a possibility but the likelihood is less than optimal: the issue with both the marriage and the investiture interpretations, aside from the firm grip the nymph has on the ring which I mentioned already, is the fact that these scenes usually involve two participants at least, such as the bride and groom, for the marriage example. In the Voynich two of the three nymphs are alone, and the other one appears to be near what could be a child.
I believe there may be other explanations to this pose and grasp, such as if this drawing belongs to the realm of the medical/technical/magical, such as in the case of the jeweller or in Glen Claston's suggestion of a pessary, or other possibilities such as the heraldic image I linked to initially in this thread.