Central to Eastern European. about 1800. Silver-gilt wedding ring. A hoop joined with a small plate on which is engraved (mazel tov, good luck) the rest enriched with six openwork bosses and rope ornament.

A flat hoop set with six filigree bosses and a plate engraved with the inscription Mazel Tov. The rest is enriched with six openwork bosses and rope ornament. The engraved plate has been added to the ring, seemingly after two bosses were removed, because the shank beneath the plate had been sawn through and then reconnected.

Bought for £2.16s. Nov.1870. Formerly part of the Waterton collection.

Jewish Worship
Judaism is the oldest religion in the world to worship one God.World Jewry has three main groups: Sephardic, Askenazic and Mizrahi (the Jews who never left the Middle East). All are bound together by a common history and their adherence to the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and the Talmud (a compendium of rabbinic law and lore).

Jewish religious traditions and rituals centre on the home, the community and the synagogue. Central to Judaism is the observance of the Sabbath. This is a holy day, set apart from the rest of the working week. It begins one hour before sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday evening when three stars can be seen in the night sky.

The Jewish year revolves around a number of festivals, such as Passover. These originated in ancient times and embody multiple layers of meaning, from agricultural festivals to historical events.

The ritual gift of a ring during the Jewish marriage ceremony goes back to ancient times but is only documented since about 1400. The Hebrew inscription (‘Mazel Tov’) on the ring wishes good luck.

869-1871