Ring
15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The hoop of this gold ring is decorated with unusual openwork reef knots. Projecting claws on the bezel suggest that it was originally set with a gemstone, now missing.
This ring forms part of a collection of over 700 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-81). Waterton was one of the foremost ring collectors of the nineteenth century and was the author of several articles on rings, a book on English devotion to the Virgin Mary and an unfinished catalogue of his collection (the manuscript is now the National Art Library). Waterton was noted for his extravagance and financial troubles caused him to place his collection in pawn with the London jeweller Robert Phillips. When he was unable to repay the loan, Phillips offered to sell the collection to the Museum and it was acquired in 1871. A small group of rings which Waterton had held back were acquired in 1899.
This ring forms part of a collection of over 700 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-81). Waterton was one of the foremost ring collectors of the nineteenth century and was the author of several articles on rings, a book on English devotion to the Virgin Mary and an unfinished catalogue of his collection (the manuscript is now the National Art Library). Waterton was noted for his extravagance and financial troubles caused him to place his collection in pawn with the London jeweller Robert Phillips. When he was unable to repay the loan, Phillips offered to sell the collection to the Museum and it was acquired in 1871. A small group of rings which Waterton had held back were acquired in 1899.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold with a setting for a stone (now missing) |
| Brief description | Gold ring, with a four claw bezel, the stone missing, decorated with foliated shoulders with Hercules (reef) knots, West Europe, 15th century |
| Physical description | Gold ring, with a four claw bezel, the stone missing, decorated with foliated shoulders with Hercules (reef) knots |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | ex Waterton Collection |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The hoop of this gold ring is decorated with unusual openwork reef knots. Projecting claws on the bezel suggest that it was originally set with a gemstone, now missing. This ring forms part of a collection of over 700 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-81). Waterton was one of the foremost ring collectors of the nineteenth century and was the author of several articles on rings, a book on English devotion to the Virgin Mary and an unfinished catalogue of his collection (the manuscript is now the National Art Library). Waterton was noted for his extravagance and financial troubles caused him to place his collection in pawn with the London jeweller Robert Phillips. When he was unable to repay the loan, Phillips offered to sell the collection to the Museum and it was acquired in 1871. A small group of rings which Waterton had held back were acquired in 1899. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 653-1871 |
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| Record created | March 14, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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