Ring
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring was described as German, from the late fifteenth century, when it was acquired by the Museum in 1894. Although the design is old, it is more likely to date from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, when rings like this, with facetted garnets mixed with hatched beads and with plants on the shoulders, were worn by the conservative rural population of southern Germany as part of their traditional costume. Garnets and turquoises are very common in the region - in local tradition, red stands for love, and green for hope - but the two blue stones may have been replaced. The two clasped hands at the back of the shank, which may have been added later, suggest that it was probably used as a betrothal ring.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver gilt set with garnets and blue and turquoise pastes |
| Brief description | Silver gilt ring, set with garnet and turquoise stones, with clasped hands at the back of the hoop, Austria, 1800-1850. |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt ring with a raised spine along the shank and split shoulders. The bezel is set with four stones, two flat-faced red stones alternating with two cabochons, one turquoise-coloured and one dark blue, in closed toothed mounts. There is a chequered silver granule in the centre, and one at each side. There are stylised branches over the space on the shoulders. There are two hands clasped together at the back of the shank, which may have been added. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This ring was described as German, from the late fifteenth century, when it was acquired by the Museum in 1894. Although the design is old, it is more likely to date from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, when rings like this, with facetted garnets mixed with hatched beads and with plants on the shoulders, were worn by the conservative rural population of southern Germany as part of their traditional costume. Garnets and turquoises are very common in the region - in local tradition, red stands for love, and green for hope - but the two blue stones may have been replaced. The two clasped hands at the back of the shank, which may have been added later, suggest that it was probably used as a betrothal ring. |
| Bibliographic reference | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1207-1903 |
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| Record created | November 1, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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