Ring Brooch thumbnail 1
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. 1869 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Ring brooches are the commonest kind of traditional brooch in northern Europe. They can be circular or heart-shaped, and their design dates from the Middle Ages. 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.

Ring brooches from the Vierlande are usually large and circular. Women wore them at the neck of their shirt, to keep it fastened. On working days they wore a plain silver brooch, like this one. These were usually decorated with an engraved design of flowers or leaves, with a pair of turtle doves and a heart at the top. On feast days, they swapped the everyday brooch for a much more elaborate one, decorated with applied filigree, gilding and coloured pastes.

Both kinds of brooch often have names or initials, and dates, engraved on the back, showing that they were originally betrothal or wedding gifts. These inscriptions are almost always scratched or stippled by the bride or groom themselves, not professionally engraved.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Engraved silver
Brief description
Silver ring brooch (Hemdspange) engraved with birds and flowers, Vierlande (North Germany), 19th century.
Physical description
Flat, circular, slightly convex, ring brooch, engraved on the front with a pattern of flowers and birds with a crown at the top.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 6.1cm
  • Depth: 0.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
'L.N.H.O.M.1869.' (Stippled on back.)
Translation
Presumably the initials and date of the owner
Subjects depicted
Summary
Ring brooches are the commonest kind of traditional brooch in northern Europe. They can be circular or heart-shaped, and their design dates from the Middle Ages. 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.

Ring brooches from the Vierlande are usually large and circular. Women wore them at the neck of their shirt, to keep it fastened. On working days they wore a plain silver brooch, like this one. These were usually decorated with an engraved design of flowers or leaves, with a pair of turtle doves and a heart at the top. On feast days, they swapped the everyday brooch for a much more elaborate one, decorated with applied filigree, gilding and coloured pastes.

Both kinds of brooch often have names or initials, and dates, engraved on the back, showing that they were originally betrothal or wedding gifts. These inscriptions are almost always scratched or stippled by the bride or groom themselves, not professionally engraved.
Collection
Accession number
528-1899

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Record createdSeptember 14, 2007
Record URL
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