Ring Brooch thumbnail 1
Ring Brooch thumbnail 2
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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

Ring Brooch

ca. 1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Although traditional jewellery was worn throughout Sweden, and has a distinct Swedish character, there are marked differences between the different provinces. Skåne province, in the extreme south of Sweden, has the richest tradition, and more jewellery was worn there than in any other district. Almost all the Swedish traditional jewellery at the V&A comes from Skåne.

Circular and heart-shaped ring brooches are medieval in origin and found throughout northern Europe. They differ from modern brooches in the way they fasten. The wearer pulls the cloth of the garment through the central hole, and then spears it with the pin. The greater the strain on the pin, the more secure the fastening.

The filigree decoration on this heart brooch is typical of Skåne work of the 19th century, as is the little ring which holds the pin. It was worn by a woman, to hold the neck of her shirt closed. It is marked with a very indistinct mark, which may be the griffin mark of Ystad, and the maker's mark PW. Peter Magnus Wallengren was a leading maker of traditional jewellery of all kinds. He worked in Ystad from 1830 to 1879.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver and filigree, set with red pastes
Brief description
Heart-shaped silver ring brooch (bröstsölja), decorated with filigree and red pastes, Skåne (Sweden), c.1850.
Physical description
Heart-shaped ring brooch with stylised crown at the top, covered all over with filigree coil rings topped with granules and lozenges, and set with red pastes. The pin is loosely attached to a loop on the inside rim.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.3cm
  • Width: 3.2cm
  • Depth: 0.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'P.W' (Stamped twice on the back, between the heart and the crown.)
    Translation
    Mark of P.M.Wallengren of Ystad
  • illegible town mark (On the back, between the two maker's marks.)
    Translation
    Probably the griffin mark of Ystad
Subject depicted
Summary
Although traditional jewellery was worn throughout Sweden, and has a distinct Swedish character, there are marked differences between the different provinces. Skåne province, in the extreme south of Sweden, has the richest tradition, and more jewellery was worn there than in any other district. Almost all the Swedish traditional jewellery at the V&A comes from Skåne.

Circular and heart-shaped ring brooches are medieval in origin and found throughout northern Europe. They differ from modern brooches in the way they fasten. The wearer pulls the cloth of the garment through the central hole, and then spears it with the pin. The greater the strain on the pin, the more secure the fastening.

The filigree decoration on this heart brooch is typical of Skåne work of the 19th century, as is the little ring which holds the pin. It was worn by a woman, to hold the neck of her shirt closed. It is marked with a very indistinct mark, which may be the griffin mark of Ystad, and the maker's mark PW. Peter Magnus Wallengren was a leading maker of traditional jewellery of all kinds. He worked in Ystad from 1830 to 1879.
Collection
Accession number
521-1886

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Record createdJuly 27, 2007
Record URL
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