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, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Ring Brooch

1300-1400 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Scandinavia (made)
Hungary (made)

This large and elaborate brooch is decorated with fabulous beasts, possibly lions and eagles, within openwork settings. It is now missing the original gem stones, which may have included pearls set in the scalloped rim. The close similarities between this and another brooch that was found in Hungary, suggest that this may possibly have been made there.


Object details

Categories
Jewellery
Metalwork
Europeana Fashion Project
Object type
Ring brooch
Materials and techniques
Silver, silver gilt, previously set with gems and possibly pearls
Silver
Gold
Gilding
Brief description
Ring brooch, silver, silver gilt, of lobed form with lions and eagles. Scandinavia or Hungary, 1300-1400.
Physical description
Ring brooch, silver, silver gilt, the base of six-lobed form with open centre, with scalloped and hatched edge, some damage and loss to the edge The six lobes are each set with openwork scrolling foliage that supports alternately a lion and eage. Between each lobe is a setting for gemstones, one setting missing, all the stones now missing. At the outer point of each lobe is another setting for gemstones, or more probably pearls, also now missing. The pin with a hooked end that fits within an opening in the base. The underside of plain silver.
Dimensions
  • Height: 2cm
  • Diameter: 7.7cm
Subjects depicted
Lion
Eagle (Bird)
Scroll-Work
Summary
This large and elaborate brooch is decorated with fabulous beasts, possibly lions and eagles, within openwork settings. It is now missing the original gem stones, which may have included pearls set in the scalloped rim. The close similarities between this and another brooch that was found in Hungary, suggest that this may possibly have been made there.
Bibliographic references
  • Lightbown, Ronald. Medieval European Jewellery: with a catalogue of the collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1992. cat. 31. p. 500.
  • Campbell, Marian, Medieval Jewellery in Europe 1100-1500, London, V&A Publishing, 2009, p. 62, fig. 62
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
529-1893

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16625/ring-brooch-unknown/
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