Ring
late 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The large opal in this ring is carved with the figure of a woman in sixteenth century dress. The nineteenth century saw a renewed interest in the art and design of the medieval and Renaissance period, for example, the popular Medieval Court in the 1851 Great Exhibition. Jewellery inspired by the sixteenth century generally took the form of jewels copied or loosely inspired by jewellery represented in portraits, such as the jewels made by the French jeweller François Desiré Froment-Meurice, or in Britain, 'Holbein' style jewellery.
This ring does not have the ornate goldwork or enamels of a Renaissance inspired jewel but the female figure in Elizabethan dress was probably inspired by portraits or earlier cameos. It may also have been inspired by the continuing popularity of William Shakespeare's plays, seen in the Shakespeare Jubilee put on by the actor David Garrick in 1769 and the purchase of Shakespeare's family home in 1847, funded by public subscriptions. The actor and producer Charles Kean's revivals of Shakespearean plays in the 1850s were notable for their attempts at historical accuracy in staging and dress.
This ring does not have the ornate goldwork or enamels of a Renaissance inspired jewel but the female figure in Elizabethan dress was probably inspired by portraits or earlier cameos. It may also have been inspired by the continuing popularity of William Shakespeare's plays, seen in the Shakespeare Jubilee put on by the actor David Garrick in 1769 and the purchase of Shakespeare's family home in 1847, funded by public subscriptions. The actor and producer Charles Kean's revivals of Shakespearean plays in the 1850s were notable for their attempts at historical accuracy in staging and dress.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Gold set with an opal cameo |
Brief description | Gold ring with a large oval bezel set with an opal cameo of the bust of a woman in Elizabethan costume, west Europe, late 19th century |
Physical description | Gold ring with a large oval bezel set with an opal cameo of the bust of a woman in Elizabethan costume |
Dimensions |
|
Credit line | Arthur Hurst Bequest |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | The large opal in this ring is carved with the figure of a woman in sixteenth century dress. The nineteenth century saw a renewed interest in the art and design of the medieval and Renaissance period, for example, the popular Medieval Court in the 1851 Great Exhibition. Jewellery inspired by the sixteenth century generally took the form of jewels copied or loosely inspired by jewellery represented in portraits, such as the jewels made by the French jeweller François Desiré Froment-Meurice, or in Britain, 'Holbein' style jewellery. This ring does not have the ornate goldwork or enamels of a Renaissance inspired jewel but the female figure in Elizabethan dress was probably inspired by portraits or earlier cameos. It may also have been inspired by the continuing popularity of William Shakespeare's plays, seen in the Shakespeare Jubilee put on by the actor David Garrick in 1769 and the purchase of Shakespeare's family home in 1847, funded by public subscriptions. The actor and producer Charles Kean's revivals of Shakespearean plays in the 1850s were notable for their attempts at historical accuracy in staging and dress. |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.202-1940 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | November 8, 2005 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest