Ring
mid 19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This gold ring is formed by wrapping the body of a snake into spiral with a wavy tail, decorated with scales at one extremity and the head of the snake at the other. Snakes were a popular device in jewellery, partly because their sinuous shape could be wrapped around the neck, arm or finger.
Snakes have been used in jewellery since the ancient Egyptians. They were associated with healing deities such as Isis in Egypt or the Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. They symbolised regeneration, healing and rebirth and therefore were used as a symbol of eternity. According to Christian beliefs, the snake tempted Adam and Eve into sin and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the snake was also one of the incarnations of the devil. Although the association with healing remained, in particular with the symbol of the staff and snake used by physicians, snakes were not commonly used in medieval jewellery. The renewed interest in the classical world which characterised the Renaissance did lead to a gradual return of snakes to fashion. This association with regeneration and eternity led to their use on both love and mourning jewellery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Queen Victoria's engagement ring was a snake with emerald eyes.
Snake rings were worn by men and women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The British kind George IV (1762-1830) was painted wearing a snake ring in a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence in the Wallace Collection.
This ring was bought a sale of the great Roman jeweller Alessandro Castellani's effects in Italy in 1884. At the time it was believed to be an early Roman ring. The Castellani family both collected classical jewellery and made new jewellery inspired by earlier historical pieces. It is most likely that this ring was made in the 19th century, possibly by the Castellani firm, although it is unmarked.
Snakes have been used in jewellery since the ancient Egyptians. They were associated with healing deities such as Isis in Egypt or the Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. They symbolised regeneration, healing and rebirth and therefore were used as a symbol of eternity. According to Christian beliefs, the snake tempted Adam and Eve into sin and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the snake was also one of the incarnations of the devil. Although the association with healing remained, in particular with the symbol of the staff and snake used by physicians, snakes were not commonly used in medieval jewellery. The renewed interest in the classical world which characterised the Renaissance did lead to a gradual return of snakes to fashion. This association with regeneration and eternity led to their use on both love and mourning jewellery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Queen Victoria's engagement ring was a snake with emerald eyes.
Snake rings were worn by men and women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The British kind George IV (1762-1830) was painted wearing a snake ring in a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence in the Wallace Collection.
This ring was bought a sale of the great Roman jeweller Alessandro Castellani's effects in Italy in 1884. At the time it was believed to be an early Roman ring. The Castellani family both collected classical jewellery and made new jewellery inspired by earlier historical pieces. It is most likely that this ring was made in the 19th century, possibly by the Castellani firm, although it is unmarked.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Engraved gold |
| Brief description | Gold ring ornamented with a single serpent with four coils, possibly by Castellani, Italy, mid 19th century |
| Physical description | Gold ring ornamented with a single serpent with four coils. The upper part of the ring is formed of a coil of the snake which is decorated with engraved scales and terminates in a detailed snake head. The two central coils are of plain, polished gold. The lowest part of the ring is the snake's tail which is also engraved with scales and twisted into waves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from a sale of Alessandro Castellani's effects in Italy, 1884, as a genuine Roman piece |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This gold ring is formed by wrapping the body of a snake into spiral with a wavy tail, decorated with scales at one extremity and the head of the snake at the other. Snakes were a popular device in jewellery, partly because their sinuous shape could be wrapped around the neck, arm or finger. Snakes have been used in jewellery since the ancient Egyptians. They were associated with healing deities such as Isis in Egypt or the Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. They symbolised regeneration, healing and rebirth and therefore were used as a symbol of eternity. According to Christian beliefs, the snake tempted Adam and Eve into sin and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the snake was also one of the incarnations of the devil. Although the association with healing remained, in particular with the symbol of the staff and snake used by physicians, snakes were not commonly used in medieval jewellery. The renewed interest in the classical world which characterised the Renaissance did lead to a gradual return of snakes to fashion. This association with regeneration and eternity led to their use on both love and mourning jewellery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Queen Victoria's engagement ring was a snake with emerald eyes. Snake rings were worn by men and women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The British kind George IV (1762-1830) was painted wearing a snake ring in a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence in the Wallace Collection. This ring was bought a sale of the great Roman jeweller Alessandro Castellani's effects in Italy in 1884. At the time it was believed to be an early Roman ring. The Castellani family both collected classical jewellery and made new jewellery inspired by earlier historical pieces. It is most likely that this ring was made in the 19th century, possibly by the Castellani firm, although it is unmarked. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 642-1884 |
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| Record created | November 7, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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