Ring
1600-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ring was acquired by the Museum in 1871 as part of a large collection of rings which had been assembled by the Victorian scholar Edmund Waterton. It was described at that time as a Jewish wedding ring of the 17th century from Germany.
Jewish wedding rings usually fall into a limited number of designs. Most tend to be large and flamboyant, suggesting that they were used symbolically during the marriage ceremony itself rather than for daily wear. The type which this ring represents is more restrained and usually made of gilded bronze rather than gold.
One of the main identifying characteristics of all Jewish wedding rings is the inscription ‘mazal tov’, meaning ‘Good fortune’ in Hebrew. This phrase is traditional in Ashkenazi weddings which makes a German or Eastern European origin likely. The stylised book on which the characters are inscribed appears to have been added after the ring was made. Several other Jewish marriage rings show this characteristic.
Jewish wedding rings usually fall into a limited number of designs. Most tend to be large and flamboyant, suggesting that they were used symbolically during the marriage ceremony itself rather than for daily wear. The type which this ring represents is more restrained and usually made of gilded bronze rather than gold.
One of the main identifying characteristics of all Jewish wedding rings is the inscription ‘mazal tov’, meaning ‘Good fortune’ in Hebrew. This phrase is traditional in Ashkenazi weddings which makes a German or Eastern European origin likely. The stylised book on which the characters are inscribed appears to have been added after the ring was made. Several other Jewish marriage rings show this characteristic.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gilded bronze |
| Brief description | Gilt bronze band ring with three filigree bosses and 'mazal tov' (good fortune) on the outside of the shank, Eastern Europe, 1600-1799. |
| Physical description | Gilt bronze band ring with a slightly curved inner surface. The outside of the band has an applied plaque with the words ‘mazal tov’ in Hebrew on one half, and three plain filigree domes on the other. The band is decorated with ring matting and has a rim of twisted wire on both edges. |
| Marks and inscriptions | מזל טוב (Engraved on applied plaque)
|
| Object history | ex Waterton Collection |
| Summary | This ring was acquired by the Museum in 1871 as part of a large collection of rings which had been assembled by the Victorian scholar Edmund Waterton. It was described at that time as a Jewish wedding ring of the 17th century from Germany. Jewish wedding rings usually fall into a limited number of designs. Most tend to be large and flamboyant, suggesting that they were used symbolically during the marriage ceremony itself rather than for daily wear. The type which this ring represents is more restrained and usually made of gilded bronze rather than gold. One of the main identifying characteristics of all Jewish wedding rings is the inscription ‘mazal tov’, meaning ‘Good fortune’ in Hebrew. This phrase is traditional in Ashkenazi weddings which makes a German or Eastern European origin likely. The stylised book on which the characters are inscribed appears to have been added after the ring was made. Several other Jewish marriage rings show this characteristic. |
| Bibliographic reference | Similar plain gilded bronze rings are found in many collections, including Pforzheim and the Koch collection. For an example, and a comprehensive list of references, see:
Chadour, Beatriz. 'Ringe. Die Alice und Louis Koch Sammlung', Leeds, 1994, fig. 1097. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 870-1871 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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