Destiny
Ring
2011 (made)
2011 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Zoe Arnold (born 1981) is a British artist jeweller and sculptor whose work, often inspired by her poetry, combines figurative elements with unusual minerals and found materials. Her work is visually intriguing with meanings hinted at obliquely. Her style is distinctive and inventively eclectic, drawing on an extensive array of materials and themes. Her work often combines poetry and collage to create striking, sculptural objects.
This ring is set with two gold flies flanking a rectangle of bright green garnet crystals. It relates to her poems ‘The Destiny of Flies’ and ‘Hope’ – which present a rather dark view of humanity’s yearnings and searching. In 'The Destiny of Flies', she describes :
"A vast array of silent dancing soldiers,
How they turn and waltz their last upended hours,
While others pass,
Unhindered, into the day."
The green field above which the flies hover is made of uvarovite garnet. The pattern on the flies' wings was made by pressing leaves into the gold.
This ring is set with two gold flies flanking a rectangle of bright green garnet crystals. It relates to her poems ‘The Destiny of Flies’ and ‘Hope’ – which present a rather dark view of humanity’s yearnings and searching. In 'The Destiny of Flies', she describes :
"A vast array of silent dancing soldiers,
How they turn and waltz their last upended hours,
While others pass,
Unhindered, into the day."
The green field above which the flies hover is made of uvarovite garnet. The pattern on the flies' wings was made by pressing leaves into the gold.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Destiny (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Gold set with uvarovite garnet. |
| Brief description | 'Destiny' ring, gold and uvarovite garnet panels flanked by two golden flies. Designed and made by Zoe Arnold, England, 2011. |
| Physical description | The bezel consists of two squares of uvarovite garnet set in gold and placed on either side of the band to form a rectangle. At each side of the rectangle, a finely modelled gold fly hovers. The hoop is a simple, unpolished gold circle of gold wire. The back of the bezel is made of oxidised silver. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | London hallmarks:
ZA - maker's mark for Zoe Arnold
Lion passant - silver hallmark
928 - silver standard
Leopard's head - London mark
Date letter m for 2011 (The ring is hallmarked for silver rather than gold because of the oxidised silver back to the bezel. ) |
| Credit line | Given by Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner |
| Object history | Selected by Clare Phillips and Richard Edgcumbe from a group of Zoe Arnold's work presented by Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner. |
| Summary | Zoe Arnold (born 1981) is a British artist jeweller and sculptor whose work, often inspired by her poetry, combines figurative elements with unusual minerals and found materials. Her work is visually intriguing with meanings hinted at obliquely. Her style is distinctive and inventively eclectic, drawing on an extensive array of materials and themes. Her work often combines poetry and collage to create striking, sculptural objects. This ring is set with two gold flies flanking a rectangle of bright green garnet crystals. It relates to her poems ‘The Destiny of Flies’ and ‘Hope’ – which present a rather dark view of humanity’s yearnings and searching. In 'The Destiny of Flies', she describes : "A vast array of silent dancing soldiers, How they turn and waltz their last upended hours, While others pass, Unhindered, into the day." The green field above which the flies hover is made of uvarovite garnet. The pattern on the flies' wings was made by pressing leaves into the gold. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.15-2012 |
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| Record created | May 29, 2012 |
| Record URL |
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