Ring
late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The oval bezel of this ring is finely painted with a funerary urn set on a pedestal underneath a weeping willow. The black enamelled hoop records the death of Frances Crabtree, aged 72, on the 27 September, 1783. Parish records show the burial of a Frances Crabtree on the 30 September 1783, aged 72, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire - this may be the woman commemorated in this ring. Although the ring has no personal or religious imagery, the incorporation of human hair made it a very personal jewel.
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 | Enamelled and engraved gold with a miniature on ivory or bone under a glass or rock crystal panel |
Brief description | Gold mourning ring enamelled in black. The Marquise bezel with a miniature of an urn on a pedestal. The hoop inscribed FRANCES CRABTREE OB: 27. SEP: 1783 AE:72., England, late 18th century |
Physical description | Gold mourning ring enamelled in black. The pointed oval bezel is set in a narrow gold rim. It holds an ivory or bone panel painted with a miniature of an egg-shaped urn on a rectangular pedestal. The pedestal holds an oval panel painted with an imitation inscription. The top of the scene is framed by the branch of a weeping willow, the urn stands on a foreground which appears to be made of chopped hair. The body of the urn also appears to be coloured with chopped hair. The bezel is covered by a rock crystal or glass panel The narrow gold hoop is inscribed FRANCES CRABTREE OB: 27. SEP: 1783 AE:72. in gold letters reserved against a black enamel background. |
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 | The oval bezel of this ring is finely painted with a funerary urn set on a pedestal underneath a weeping willow. The black enamelled hoop records the death of Frances Crabtree, aged 72, on the 27 September, 1783. Parish records show the burial of a Frances Crabtree on the 30 September 1783, aged 72, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire - this may be the woman commemorated in this ring. Although the ring has no personal or religious imagery, the incorporation of human hair made it a very personal jewel. 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. 845 |
Collection | |
Accession number | 853-1888 |
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Record created | April 25, 2006 |
Record URL |
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