Mourning Ring thumbnail 1
Mourning Ring thumbnail 2
+7
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Mourning Ring

1661 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This enamelled gold mourning ring commemorates the death of Samuel Nicholets of Hertfordshire who died on 7th July 1661, as is recorded in the inscription inside the ring. The ring is hollow, and a lock of hair curls around within it, visible through the openwork of the enamelled decoration of skulls and coats of arms.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Enamelled gold with hair ornament
Brief description
Enamelled gold mourning ring, with openwork ornament underlaid with hair and skulls and two coats of arms, one for the Nicholets family of Herefordshire, made in England, 1661
Physical description
Enamelled gold mourning ring, with openwork ornament underlaid with hair. The outside of the hoop enamelled in black and white with skulls and two coats of arms, one for Nicholets, of Herefordshire. Inscribed inside Samuell Nicholets obijt [died] 17 July (1661) Christ is my portion.
Dimensions
  • Depth: 0.6cm
  • Diameter: 2.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
Samuell Nicholets obijt 17 July (1661) Christ is my portion (inscription inside the hoop)
Translation
'Samuel Nicholets died 17 July 1661'
Credit line
Given by Dame Joan Evans
Object history
Part of a small group of openwork hoops with hair including a memento mori ring for Henry Hammond, dean of Christchurch and chaplain to Charles I (died 1655) which was sold at Christies South Kensington in November 2009 for £2875.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This enamelled gold mourning ring commemorates the death of Samuel Nicholets of Hertfordshire who died on 7th July 1661, as is recorded in the inscription inside the ring. The ring is hollow, and a lock of hair curls around within it, visible through the openwork of the enamelled decoration of skulls and coats of arms.
Bibliographic references
  • Hindman, Sandra ed. Cycles of life: rings from the Benjamin Zucker family collection, London, 2014, p. 193
  • Church, Rachel, Rings, London, V&A Publishing, 2011, p.46, fig.53
Collection
Accession number
M.156-1962

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Record createdJuly 11, 2006
Record URL
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