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Ring brooch

Ring brooch

  • Place of origin:

    France (possibly, made)
    England, Great Britain (possibly, made)

  • Date:

    1250-1300 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Gold, cast and chased; Garnets, sapphires

  • Credit Line:

    Salting Bequest

  • Museum number:

    M.530-1910

  • Gallery location:

    Jewellery, room 91, case 5, shelf A, box 6

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Ring brooches are the most common type of medieval brooch to survive, and had a practical function: to fasten garments, especially at the neck. Shaped as a ring, with a long central pin, brooches could vary considerably in size. The most elaborate type of ring brooches were embellished with gems, enamel or applied decoration and were clearly intended to make a statement about the status and wealth of their wearer. This example, with its applied floral decoration, reflects the increasing interest in nature during the later 13th century.

Physical description

Ring brooch, gold, set with garnets and sapphires. At top and bottom are two high collets on a hexagonal base, the top set with a sapphire, the lower with a garnet. Flanking each of these collets is a spray of cast and applied stylized foliage. Each sideof the brooch is decorated with punched and engraved ornament, above and below which are two tall collets, the upper holding a sapphire, the lower a garnet. The pin interrupts the brooch on the left side: the head of the pin is decorated with similar punched and engraved ornament.

Place of Origin

France (possibly, made)
England, Great Britain (possibly, made)

Date

1250-1300 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Gold, cast and chased; Garnets, sapphires

Dimensions

Length: 3.2 cm, Width: 3.5 cm

Descriptive line

Gold ring brooch set with garnets sapphires. France or England, about 1250-1300.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Lightbown, Ronald. Medieval European Jewellery: with a catalogue of the collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1992. cat. 9. p. 493.
Campbell, Marian, Medieval Jewellery in Europe 1100-1500, London, V&A Publishing, 2009, p. 31, fig. 30; p. 59, fig. 59; cover illustration.

Production Note

Possibly made in England or France

Materials

Gold; Garnet; Sapphire

Techniques

Cast; Chased

Subjects depicted

Foliage

Categories

Metalwork; Jewellery

Collection code

MET

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Qr_O13417
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