Ring
1865-1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The stone in this ring is the operculum of the shell of a sea-snail from the Mediterranean. These shells have been worn as amulets in many southern European countries since at least Roman times, and they were also popular in southern Germany and Austria. In Spain, they were known as ‘habas’, meaning beans, and were usually used to guard against headaches. They were often worn set in a silver ring, as in this case.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver set with an operculum |
| Brief description | Silver ring set with an operculum, Cordoba (Spain), 1865-70. |
| Physical description | Silver ring set with the operculum of a trochus shell. The shank is facetted at the back and splits at the shoulders, which are decorated with engraved lines, to hold the bezel. The operculum is held in a toothed mount which is open at the back. |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | The stone in this ring is the operculum of the shell of a sea-snail from the Mediterranean. These shells have been worn as amulets in many southern European countries since at least Roman times, and they were also popular in southern Germany and Austria. In Spain, they were known as ‘habas’, meaning beans, and were usually used to guard against headaches. They were often worn set in a silver ring, as in this case. |
| Bibliographic reference | For comments on the wearing of opercula in rings, see:
Hildburgh, W.L. 'Notes on Spanish Amulets' in FOLK-LORE Vol. XVIL, 1906 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1106-1871 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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