{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O107878"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O107878/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN0524/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN0524/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BN0524","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN0525","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BA1367","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O107878/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O107878","accessionNumber":"M.19-2004","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III in 1348 and is the oldest order of chivalry in Europe. The insignia of the Order have developed over the centuries: starting with a garter and badge depicting St George and the Dragon. A collar was added in the sixteenth century, and the star and broad riband in the seventeenth century.\n\r\nGarter rings form a small and as yet, not fully understood group, they are obviously inspired by the insignia of the Order but were not a formal part of it. Only seven rings are currently known of, five of which were published by Edward Donohoe in 1990. Their original function and significance are not yet known: certain rings appear to have a mourning function whilst at least one other is a Stuart ring - a memorial ring for Charles I in the form of a Garter with the motto set in black enamel. Elias Ashmole refers to their use in his 1672 book on the Order of the Garter and suggests that they may have been given to friends and relations by newly installed Knights. He describes them in the following text:\n\n<i>'We have seen Gold Rings cast into the Figure of Garters, the ground on the outside enamelled with a deep Blue, through which the golden Letters of the Motto appearing, set them off with an admirable beauty. And it seems such Garter Rings have been of ancient use, since the Preface to the Black Book of the Order, taking notice of wearing the Garter on the left Leg or Shoulder, adds also the Thumb, by which we suppose is meant Gold Rings, made into the fashion of Garters, and bestowed by some newly installed Knights upon their Relations and Friends, to wear in memorial of so great an honour conferred upon them.' \n\n</i>A ring in Winchester Cathedral which is in the shape of a dark blue enamel Garter with a diamond set in the bezel seems to have been made as a mourning gift. The inside of the hoop is inscribed 'Memorarere Novissima' (Remember the last things) with the initials LA and a skull. This may have been one of the 20 rings bequeathed by Lancelot Andrewes, bishop of Winchester (died 1626) and a member of the Order of the Garter. His will states that 'I bequeath the sum of three hundred pounds to be bestowed in Rings of gold upon such of my good friends as I am bound in thankfulness to remember, the names I will set in a list to my will annexed.' \n\nIn 1842, Sir Nicholas Harris described the contemporary use of the rings as mourning rings for the friends of a deceased Garter King at Arms. However, no corroborating evidence regarding their use has yet been found in the portraits or papers of Garter knights or in any wills or inventories and there is no tradition for spouses or friends of Garter knights wearing associated items. \n\nThe miniature set on the hoop of the ring is of James Francis Edward Stuart, the son of the exiled King James II and Mary of Modena, popularly known as the Old Pretender. This image is very close to a painting of the Prince by Jean-François de Troy (also reproduced in a number of contemporary prints) as well as a painting of 1712 by Alexis Simon Belle. Images of the exiled Stuarts were widely circulated to build up loyalty to the family and bolster their claim to retake the throne. After the failure of 1745 uprising, images continued to be worn as a sign of continuing loyalty but became less dangerous as the likelihood of a change of government receded. The exiled Stuarts were particularly attached to the Order of the Garter and continued both to wear it and to confer it on their supporters, symbolising their continued claim to the throne and all its privileges. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Hoop imitating a garter, the bezel in the form of a small oval portrait miniature of a man. To the left of the bezel, an imitation buckle set with four diamond chips and a strap terminating in a diamond chip. The hoop is enamelled in royal blue with an inscription in reserve capital letters reading HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"Enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"quartz crystal","id":"AAT11152"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Enamelling","id":"x37485"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Enamelled gold, set with diamonds and a miniature painting under rock crystal","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BN0524","2007BN0525","2006BA1367"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"12","shelf":"B","box":"14"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1730-70","earliest":"1730-01-01","latest":"1770-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Edward Donohoe","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"2.10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"1.00","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Unmarked","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"A similar ring with a blue enamel hoop and emerald and diamond cluster buckle, inscribed 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' was sold by Christie's, 4 October 1989, lot 368 and again 5 October, 1994, lot. 20.\r\n\r\nLarge sale at Lyon and Turnbull, Edinburgh, 2 May 2015 of Jacobite, Stuart and Scottish Applied Arts. ","historicalContext":"\n\n","briefDescription":"Gold and blue enamel ring in the form of a garter set with a miniature portrait of James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender). English, 1730-70.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Donohoe, Edward,  'Garter Rings', <font -i>Jewellery Studies, Vol.4 1990, pp 84-6</font>"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Begent, Peter and Chesshyre, Hubert, <font -i>The most noble order of the garter: 650 years</font>, Spink, London 1999"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ashmole, Elias, <font -i>The institution, laws and ceremonies of the most noble order of the Garter</font>, London 1672, 208"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris, <font -i>History of the orders of knighthood of the British Empire</font>, London 1842, 388"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.19-2004"],"accessionNumberNum":"19","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2004,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR2695","2019LT3857","2019LW9737","2021MV1686"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2004-12-15","availableToBook":false}}