Ring
1500-1500 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Rings are the most commonly surviving medieval jewels. They were worn by both sexes, across all levels of society. Some portraits show wearers with multiple rings across all their fingers. This ring is engraved with flowers and a little banner, held up by two birds, with the inscription 'Myn genyst' which may be translated as 'My salvation'. According to dictionaries of medieval German, it can be read as salvation, redemption, recovery or survival and may be interpreted either as a religious sentiment or perhaps a romantic one. Rings with romantic mottoes and designs were given as part of a courtship or to symbolise a marriage and it is not unusual for religious and secular phrases to be combined.
This ring was part of the collection put together by the French antiquarian Ernest Guilhou. He put together an important group of medieval and early Renaissance art, jewellery, snuffboxes and enamels. The bulk of his collection was sold at a series of auctions in 1905 and 1906 but his ring collection was held back until a sale at Sotheby's in London in 1937.
This ring was part of the collection put together by the French antiquarian Ernest Guilhou. He put together an important group of medieval and early Renaissance art, jewellery, snuffboxes and enamels. The bulk of his collection was sold at a series of auctions in 1905 and 1906 but his ring collection was held back until a sale at Sotheby's in London in 1937.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Chased and engraved gold |
| Brief description | Gold ring, the hoop chased with foliage, birds and a scroll inscribed Myn. Genyst, 'My salvation'. Germany, 1400-1500. |
| Physical description | Gold ring, the hoop chased with foliage, birds and a scroll inscribed in German Myn. Genyst. Traces of enamel. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | inscribed Myn. Genyst
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| Credit line | Presented by Art Fund |
| Object history | From the Guilhou Collection, sold on the fourth day of the 1937 auction as item 671. Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, (see references). genist stF. (stM. HESLAPK 46. 2508 ).1 ‘Überleben, Rettung, Heil’ 1.1 allg. 1.2 bezogen auf das Seelenheil ‘Erlösung’ 1.3 phras. 2 ‘Heilung, Genesung (von Krankheit, Wunden)’ 3 ‘Niederkunft, Entbindung’ 4 ‘(Brot-)Erwerb, (Lebens-)Unterhalt’ 1 ‘Überleben, Rettung, Heil’ 1.1 allg.: diu vrowe [...] jach, siun möhte’n niht verclagen, / wær er mit unschulde erslagen. / sînre geniste was siu vrô UVZLANZ 1593; und bâten den richtêr, / daz er in lîze bî genist [am Leben] NVJER 22504; swen dî cristnin durch genist / darzû mit vlucht sich neigitin ebd. 14726; in den henden mîn / stuont sîn genist und sîn sterben OTTOK 20750; des lîbes genist ebd. 19242; des lebens genist ebd. 28822; GEN 2629; IW 1298; KVWTROJ 32535. – des su̍che ich rat vnd genist / an u̍ch vnd das gesinde KRONE 12682; für des kummers genist [Errettung aus der Not] / moht daz volc deheinen list / anders gehân, / wan daz wîp und man / fluhen ûz den steten OTTOK19085. – er wart der minne banden / als undertænic bî der vrist, / daz al sîn trôst und sîn genist / lac an der megde reine KVWTROJ 14762; ez wert unlange min genist: / ich waiz wol daz min hertze brist, / swenne ich sihe die verlust / daz der kuͤnc din muͤndel kust WHVÖST 2575; daz, lieber du, lebendig bist: / daz ist an vræuden min genist ebd. 7012 1.2 bezogen auf das Seelenheil ‘Erlösung’ dines [Pilatus] gewaltes nist niht mere / wan der dir geben ist durch der mennisken genist AVALJ 142,2; der mennischen genist ist enzwîvil, die mit gesuntim lîbe vravelichin êzzint, so si scholtin vastin SPEC 64,7; unser herre der unsers hails und unser gnist vlizzich ist PROBERALT 70,8 u.ö.;STRKD 144,153; DANIEL 1044. – [Jesus] wære / der werlde schepfere, / der sele trost vnd ir genist WERNH A 4151; [Gott hat] alle dise diete gezelt / an die zal der waren gnist [die Gesamtheit derer, die erlöst werden] HESLAPK 12621; TEICHN 281,201 1.3 phras.: – êwec ~ : du [Gott] urhab aller genaden bist, / dar inne wonit der ewige genist HESLAPK46; des [Gebets pater noster ] mennisch ie bedorfte / ze disses libes friste / unde ze der ewigen geniste VATERUNS 20; WERNH 1432. – der sêle ~ : der wirbet niur nach werltlichem gewinn denn nach genist der sele PROBERALT 93,34; daz du dich der gitecheit erwerst / und dines libes meisters bist, / daz ist der sele genist STRKD 11,638; die gnist miner sele SÜKLV 421; ATHIS F 131 2 ‘Heilung, Genesung (von Krankheit, Wunden)’ sône hete er [der Todkranke] ze sîner genist / dehein gedingen mêre AHEINR 240.181; mit salben sô gehiure, / diu [...] für die wunden ein genist / [...] ist PARZ 577,23; daz er in Salerne wære / durch sînes lîbes genist [um dort geheilt zu werden] TR 7331.7956 3 ‘Niederkunft, Entbindung’ die vrawen wurden swanger; / auch sumten sie sich niht langer / ietwedriu vrawe mit ir genist / und gelagen beide uf eine vrist, / do sie getruͦgen uf daz zil WHVÖST 537; in der selben frist / bekom sîn frouwe mit genist / einer tohter OTTOK 2364 4 ‘(Brot-)Erwerb, (Lebens-)Unterhalt’ von der poͤsen hausfrawen die Adam nam ward er verstozzen von seinem reich vnd chom in die pærmlichen werlt, do er gewinnen muͦst sein genist mit arbait vnd in sways GESTROM 4; daz si den bruodern dîn / müezen werden undertân / und ir genist von in hân ENIKWCHR 2976; und hienc ir brust für sînen munt, / die souc der junge süeze knabe / und hete sîne genist dar abe KVWTROJ 540; WIG 5301; wohl hierher: geit man in [den pfaffen ] des leibez genist [Lebensunterhalt] , / so geben seu daz ewig ist TEICHN 168,55. – bildl.: ritter, wie ist úch so geschehen, / daz ir wapens also blosz / zú keiner freise, die so grosz / jst, also dise ist, / vch waget vf heyles genist? KRONE 21504; frou Ere hat [...] / in aller tugent ir genist FRL 11:8,14 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Rings are the most commonly surviving medieval jewels. They were worn by both sexes, across all levels of society. Some portraits show wearers with multiple rings across all their fingers. This ring is engraved with flowers and a little banner, held up by two birds, with the inscription 'Myn genyst' which may be translated as 'My salvation'. According to dictionaries of medieval German, it can be read as salvation, redemption, recovery or survival and may be interpreted either as a religious sentiment or perhaps a romantic one. Rings with romantic mottoes and designs were given as part of a courtship or to symbolise a marriage and it is not unusual for religious and secular phrases to be combined. This ring was part of the collection put together by the French antiquarian Ernest Guilhou. He put together an important group of medieval and early Renaissance art, jewellery, snuffboxes and enamels. The bulk of his collection was sold at a series of auctions in 1905 and 1906 but his ring collection was held back until a sale at Sotheby's in London in 1937. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.182-1937 |
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| Record created | March 6, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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