{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O118189"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118189/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU3437/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU3437/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MU3437","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU1415","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MU3435","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MU3436","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O118189/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O118189","accessionNumber":"M.24-1996","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This gold ring is formed from two intertwined snakes, whose heads meet at the bezel. Each head is set with tiny diamond eyes. Snakes were a popular device in jewellery, partly because their sinuous shape could be wrapped around the neck, arm or finger. \n\nSnakes have been used in jewellery since the ancient Egyptians. They were associated with healing deities such as Isis in Egypt or the Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. They symbolised regeneration, healing and rebirth and therefore were used as a symbol of eternity. According to Christian beliefs, the snake tempted Adam and Eve into sin and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the snake was also one of the incarnations of the devil. Although the association with healing remained, in particular with the symbol of the staff and snake used by physicians, snakes were not commonly used in medieval jewellery. The renewed interest in the classical world which characterised the Renaissance did lead to a gradual return of snakes to fashion. This association with regeneration and eternity led to their use on both love and mourning jewellery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Queen Victoria's engagement ring was a snake with emerald eyes.\n\nSnake rings were worn by men and women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The British king George IV (1762-1830) was painted wearing a snake ring in a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence in the Wallace Collection.","physicalDescription":"Gold double serpent ring with diamonds formed of two intertwined snakes with diamond eyes. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Green, Charles","id":"A16850"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"diamond","id":"AAT11084"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold with diamonds","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2020MU3437","2006AU1415","2020MU3435","2020MU3436"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES407864"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1900-1901","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1901-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Rosemary Eve Lawrence","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Hallmarks: crown, 18, leopard's head, date letter lower case e; maker's mark CG in an oval cameo punch.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"Hallmarks for 18 carat gold, London, 1900-1901. Maker's mark for Charles Green.","type":"","note":"It is interesting that there are two full sets of hallmarks, one on each of the snakes. "},{"content":"mark","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Maker's mark for Charles Green"}],"objectHistory":"Charles Green was a Birmingham jeweller based at 48 Augusta Street, London. His mark is recorded in John Culme's Dictionary of Gold and Silversmiths (Woodbridge, 1987; ii, nos. 2075 and 2076). For another snake ring by Charles Green, the snakes made of platinum and gold, see Christie's 2 October 1991, lot 410.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold ring with diamonds, London hallmarks for 1900-1 and mark of Charles Green, Birmingham","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.24-1996"],"accessionNumberNum":"24","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1996,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LV9690"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-21","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-07","availableToBook":true}}