ring
Ring
| 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 Italy.
The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with a building, thought to represent the Temple of Solomon, as the bezel, or inscribed with the Hebrew words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune). In the 19th century they were very popular with collectors and were usually believed to be medieval or renaissance in date, although there are very few authenticated examples. This ring probably dates from the Middle Ages. A small bead, as in this example, was found inside the bezel of a Jewish wedding ring dating from the first half of the 14th century which was found at Erfurt, but the absence of any Jewish identifying characteristics makes it difficult to be certain that this is a Jewish ring.
The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with a building, thought to represent the Temple of Solomon, as the bezel, or inscribed with the Hebrew words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune). In the 19th century they were very popular with collectors and were usually believed to be medieval or renaissance in date, although there are very few authenticated examples. This ring probably dates from the Middle Ages. A small bead, as in this example, was found inside the bezel of a Jewish wedding ring dating from the first half of the 14th century which was found at Erfurt, but the absence of any Jewish identifying characteristics makes it difficult to be certain that this is a Jewish ring.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | ring |
| Materials and techniques | Gold |
| Brief description | Gold ring with square bezel shaped like a building, Europe. |
| Physical description | Gold ring with a raised spine along the length of the shank ending in stylised sprigs at the sides of the shoulders. The bezel is a hollow square tower with a stepped roof and three openings on each side of the base. There is a loose pellet inside the tower. |
| Dimensions |
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| Historical context | Formerly in the 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 Italy. The description of Jewish marriage or betrothal ring is often applied to elaborate rings with a building, thought to represent the Temple of Solomon, as the bezel, or inscribed with the Hebrew words ‘mazal tov’ (good fortune). In the 19th century they were very popular with collectors and were usually believed to be medieval or renaissance in date, although there are very few authenticated examples. This ring probably dates from the Middle Ages. A small bead, as in this example, was found inside the bezel of a Jewish wedding ring dating from the first half of the 14th century which was found at Erfurt, but the absence of any Jewish identifying characteristics makes it difficult to be certain that this is a Jewish ring. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 863-1871 |
About this object record
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| Record created | January 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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