Ring
1800-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring was acquired by the Museum in 1871 as part of a large collection of rings which had been assembled by the Victorian scholar Edmund Waterton. It was described at that time as a 16th-century Jewish wedding ring from Germany.
The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with Hebrew inscriptions. Their role is not entirely clear. Jewish wives wore simple gold wedding rings but these rings seem to have been used symbolically and only during the marriage ceremony. They are often too large and bulky to have been worn routinely.
These rings usually fall into a limited number of types. This pattern, with the words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune) in Hebrew characters made from cells of enamel along the outside of the shank, and a Gothic building with fluttering flags as a bezel, is found in many collections. None can be shown to have existed before the mid-19th century, and it is possible that they were made at that time specifically for collectors.
The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with Hebrew inscriptions. Their role is not entirely clear. Jewish wives wore simple gold wedding rings but these rings seem to have been used symbolically and only during the marriage ceremony. They are often too large and bulky to have been worn routinely.
These rings usually fall into a limited number of types. This pattern, with the words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune) in Hebrew characters made from cells of enamel along the outside of the shank, and a Gothic building with fluttering flags as a bezel, is found in many collections. None can be shown to have existed before the mid-19th century, and it is possible that they were made at that time specifically for collectors.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, with twisted wire decoration and black, white, green and turquoise enamel |
| Brief description | Gold band ring with enamel inscription in Hebrew and building as bezel, Europe, 1800-1850. |
| Physical description | Gold band ring with a raised enamelled inscription in Hebrew around the outside which reads ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune). The letters are in black enamel with the accents in turquoise, green and white, and the matted background of these letters is mirrored on the inside of the shank. There is a band of braided wire along each rim. The bezel consists of a conventional representation of the Temple, with two irregular gables and two hinged flags on the roof. |
| Marks and inscriptions | מזל טוב (On outside of shank in raised enamelled letters)
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| Object history | ex Waterton Collection |
| Summary | This ring was acquired by the Museum in 1871 as part of a large collection of rings which had been assembled by the Victorian scholar Edmund Waterton. It was described at that time as a 16th-century Jewish wedding ring from Germany. The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with Hebrew inscriptions. Their role is not entirely clear. Jewish wives wore simple gold wedding rings but these rings seem to have been used symbolically and only during the marriage ceremony. They are often too large and bulky to have been worn routinely. These rings usually fall into a limited number of types. This pattern, with the words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune) in Hebrew characters made from cells of enamel along the outside of the shank, and a Gothic building with fluttering flags as a bezel, is found in many collections. None can be shown to have existed before the mid-19th century, and it is possible that they were made at that time specifically for collectors. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 866-1871 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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