Ring
late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This ring, decorated with a delicately painted scene of a female mourner leaning on an urn whose pedestal is marked ASD, commemorates the death of Samuel Durrant who died on September 4, 1783, at the age of 62. Samuel Durrant may be the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Durrant, born in Hawkhurst, Kent on 6 February 1721. The female figure shown leaning mournfully on a pedestal represents an idealised mourner rather than a member of Samuel's family.
From the early seventeenth to the end of the nineteenth century, testators left money in their wills to have rings with commemorative inscriptions made and distributed to their friends and families. Simple bands enamelled with the name and life dates of the deceased were frequently made, sometimes set with a gemstone or a bezel set with a rock crystal covering a symbol such as a coffin or initials in gold wire. In the later 18th century, rings followed neo-classical designs, their oval bezels often decorated with the same designs as funerary monuments such as urns, broken pillars and mourning figures. Hair from the deceased was incorporated into the designs or set in a compartment at the back of the ring to give each jewel a uniquely personal element. Black or white enamel were favoured though white enamel was often, though not universally used to commemorate children and unmarried adults. By the end of the 19th century, memorial ring designs were becoming more standardised. The hoops were often inscribed with phrases such as 'In memory' whilst a commemorative inscription could be added to the inside of the hoop. The custom of giving rings as memorials gradually declined in the early 20th century, although the Goldsmiths Journal suggests that some were still being sold in the 1930s.
From the early seventeenth to the end of the nineteenth century, testators left money in their wills to have rings with commemorative inscriptions made and distributed to their friends and families. Simple bands enamelled with the name and life dates of the deceased were frequently made, sometimes set with a gemstone or a bezel set with a rock crystal covering a symbol such as a coffin or initials in gold wire. In the later 18th century, rings followed neo-classical designs, their oval bezels often decorated with the same designs as funerary monuments such as urns, broken pillars and mourning figures. Hair from the deceased was incorporated into the designs or set in a compartment at the back of the ring to give each jewel a uniquely personal element. Black or white enamel were favoured though white enamel was often, though not universally used to commemorate children and unmarried adults. By the end of the 19th century, memorial ring designs were becoming more standardised. The hoops were often inscribed with phrases such as 'In memory' whilst a commemorative inscription could be added to the inside of the hoop. The custom of giving rings as memorials gradually declined in the early 20th century, although the Goldsmiths Journal suggests that some were still being sold in the 1930s.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Engraved gold with a miniature painted on ivory or bone set under a glass or rock crystal cover |
Brief description | Gold mourning ring with a Marquise bezel with a miniature of a woman standing by an altar inscribed ASD. and inscribed behind Samuel Durrant died Sepr 4 1783 aged 62, England, late 18th century |
Physical description | Gold mourning ring with a pointed oval bezel with a scalloped and engraved border. The bezel is set with with a miniature painted on ivory or bone of a woman standing by a pedestal with an oval plaque inscribed ASD. The foreground of the image is set with chopped hair to simulate grass whilst the upper part of the scene is framed by a weeping willow. The narrow gold hoop widens to meet the bezel, forming a triangle engraved with a stylized flower within a reeded border. The back of the bezel is inscribed in italic lettering Samuel Durrant died Sepr 4 1783 aged 62 |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Object history | Part of a group of memorial and mourning jewels bought from Dr Marco Guastalla, acting on behalf of 'an English lady residing in Italy' (museum numbers 846-1888 to 989-1888) |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This ring, decorated with a delicately painted scene of a female mourner leaning on an urn whose pedestal is marked ASD, commemorates the death of Samuel Durrant who died on September 4, 1783, at the age of 62. Samuel Durrant may be the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Durrant, born in Hawkhurst, Kent on 6 February 1721. The female figure shown leaning mournfully on a pedestal represents an idealised mourner rather than a member of Samuel's family. From the early seventeenth to the end of the nineteenth century, testators left money in their wills to have rings with commemorative inscriptions made and distributed to their friends and families. Simple bands enamelled with the name and life dates of the deceased were frequently made, sometimes set with a gemstone or a bezel set with a rock crystal covering a symbol such as a coffin or initials in gold wire. In the later 18th century, rings followed neo-classical designs, their oval bezels often decorated with the same designs as funerary monuments such as urns, broken pillars and mourning figures. Hair from the deceased was incorporated into the designs or set in a compartment at the back of the ring to give each jewel a uniquely personal element. Black or white enamel were favoured though white enamel was often, though not universally used to commemorate children and unmarried adults. By the end of the 19th century, memorial ring designs were becoming more standardised. The hoops were often inscribed with phrases such as 'In memory' whilst a commemorative inscription could be added to the inside of the hoop. The custom of giving rings as memorials gradually declined in the early 20th century, although the Goldsmiths Journal suggests that some were still being sold in the 1930s. |
Bibliographic reference | Oman, Charles, Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, cat. 846 |
Collection | |
Accession number | 857-1888 |
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Record created | April 25, 2006 |
Record URL |
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