Ring
1819-1838 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring was a romantic present from a man to his love. The French word 'pensées' means both pansies, as painted on the bezel of this ring, and 'thoughts'. In this case the pansies stand for 'pensez', meaning 'think'. The flowers and words taken together read 'Pensez à votre ami', 'think of your friend'. The lover hoped that his love would wear the ring and think of him.
The 'language of flowers' is said to have come from the early 18th century Ottoman court. Coded messages could be sent through real or painted flowers. In 1819 Louise Cortambert helped to popularise the custom. Writing under the pen name 'Madame Charlotte de la Tour,' her book ‘Le Langage des Fleurs’, was the first dictionary to lay out the significance of each flower.
The 'language of flowers' is said to have come from the early 18th century Ottoman court. Coded messages could be sent through real or painted flowers. In 1819 Louise Cortambert helped to popularise the custom. Writing under the pen name 'Madame Charlotte de la Tour,' her book ‘Le Langage des Fleurs’, was the first dictionary to lay out the significance of each flower.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, enamel and glass |
| Brief description | Gold ring set with two green glass stones and enamelled plaques decorated with pansies and the inscription 'A votre ami', a rebus which reads as 'think of your friend'. |
| Physical description | Gold hoop with bevelled edge set with two enamelled plaques, one bearing a pattern of pansies, the other inscribed 'A votre ami'. Between the plaques can be seen two small green glass stones. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Geoffrey and Caroline Munn |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This ring was a romantic present from a man to his love. The French word 'pensées' means both pansies, as painted on the bezel of this ring, and 'thoughts'. In this case the pansies stand for 'pensez', meaning 'think'. The flowers and words taken together read 'Pensez à votre ami', 'think of your friend'. The lover hoped that his love would wear the ring and think of him. The 'language of flowers' is said to have come from the early 18th century Ottoman court. Coded messages could be sent through real or painted flowers. In 1819 Louise Cortambert helped to popularise the custom. Writing under the pen name 'Madame Charlotte de la Tour,' her book ‘Le Langage des Fleurs’, was the first dictionary to lay out the significance of each flower. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.227-2007 |
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| Record created | October 29, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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