Caliban
Ring
1985 (made)
1985 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The British artist Kevin Coates draws on strong figurative imagery for his work. He describes his approach to jewellery thus : ‘If jewellery has become jewel, then jewel must become poem. I realize that this is a personal philosophy, but it is at the very heart of what I seek in my work; I understand, too, that it requires the conspiracy of others to approach what I do in terms of connotation and not denotation, in other words to “read” it in terms of poetry not prose.’
A 2008 publication describes this ring as 'A magnificent storm-grey moonstone has been carved as the expressive head of Caliban. His eyes, hinting at the angry turmoil within, are carved and inlaid with rubies. The shank of this dramatic ring is formed by the golden hands clutching the troubled head, their arms still crossed with bindings of slavery.' (Kevin Coates, A Hidden Alchemy. Goldsmithing: Jewels and Table-Pieces, Stuttgart 2008)
Coates's work often draws upon literary and mythological sources. In this case, the semi-monstrous figure of Caliban is drawn from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest'.
A 2008 publication describes this ring as 'A magnificent storm-grey moonstone has been carved as the expressive head of Caliban. His eyes, hinting at the angry turmoil within, are carved and inlaid with rubies. The shank of this dramatic ring is formed by the golden hands clutching the troubled head, their arms still crossed with bindings of slavery.' (Kevin Coates, A Hidden Alchemy. Goldsmithing: Jewels and Table-Pieces, Stuttgart 2008)
Coates's work often draws upon literary and mythological sources. In this case, the semi-monstrous figure of Caliban is drawn from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest'.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Caliban (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Cast and textured gold, carved grey moonstone and rubies |
Brief description | 'Caliban' ring, cast and textured gold, grey moonstone and rubies. Designed and made by Kevin Coates, London, 1985. |
Physical description | Textured U-shaped gold hoop, wrapped in sections of wire, terminating in two hands which grasp a carved grey moonstone head set with ruby eyes. |
Dimensions |
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Subject depicted | |
Literary reference | The Tempest |
Summary | The British artist Kevin Coates draws on strong figurative imagery for his work. He describes his approach to jewellery thus : ‘If jewellery has become jewel, then jewel must become poem. I realize that this is a personal philosophy, but it is at the very heart of what I seek in my work; I understand, too, that it requires the conspiracy of others to approach what I do in terms of connotation and not denotation, in other words to “read” it in terms of poetry not prose.’ A 2008 publication describes this ring as 'A magnificent storm-grey moonstone has been carved as the expressive head of Caliban. His eyes, hinting at the angry turmoil within, are carved and inlaid with rubies. The shank of this dramatic ring is formed by the golden hands clutching the troubled head, their arms still crossed with bindings of slavery.' (Kevin Coates, A Hidden Alchemy. Goldsmithing: Jewels and Table-Pieces, Stuttgart 2008) Coates's work often draws upon literary and mythological sources. In this case, the semi-monstrous figure of Caliban is drawn from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest'. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | M.11-1986 |
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Record created | April 9, 2008 |
Record URL |
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