{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O118816"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118816/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BL1953/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BL1953/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BL1953","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BL1957","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BL1956","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA7008","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O118816/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O118816","accessionNumber":"857-1871","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The red almandine garnet surrounded by pearls suggests a flower, symbol of love. The red of the garnet was often used to symbolise passion whilst the pearls signified purity. The central garnet is engraved with two clasped hands, a motif known as a 'fede', from the Italian 'mani in fede' or hands clasped in trust. It could also be known as a 'hand in hand' ring. The clasped hands represent the handclasp which formed part of the marriage service and suggest that this ring was made as a love gift or wedding ring. The back of the bezel is painted with a pretty, enamelled flower, visible only to the owner. \n\r\nThis ring forms part of a collection of 760 rings and engraved gems from the  collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-87). Waterton  was one of the foremost ring collectors of the nineteenth century and  was the author of several articles on rings, a   book on English  devotion to the Virgin Mary and an unfinished catalogue of his  collection (the manuscript is now the National   Art Library). Waterton  was noted for his extravagance and financial troubles  caused him to place his collection in pawn with the   London jeweller Robert  Phillips. When he was unable to repay the loan,  Phillips offered to sell the collection to the Museum and   it was acquired in 1871. A  small group of rings which Waterton had  held back were acquired in 1899. ","physicalDescription":"Enamelled gold <i>fede</i> ring, with a lozenge shaped bezel set with pearls surrounding an almandine garnet engraved with clasped hands, the back of the bezel engraved with a red flower, with later Roman mark for gold (1815-70)","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"garnet","id":"AAT11097"},{"text":"pearl","id":"AAT11827"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Enamelled gold set with pearls surrounding an almandine garnet engraved with clasped hands","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006BL1953","2006BL1957","2006BL1956","2017KA7008"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"8","shelf":"D","box":"4"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1640-60","earliest":"1640-01-01","latest":"1660-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"1.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Roman mark for gold (1815-70)","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":"Ex Waterton Collection. A ring with an emerald engraved with clasped hands was sold at Bonhams, London, 2004. There is a ring in the Koch collection (cat. 766) which is a has a crude cross shape and is set with a green glass imitation stone formed as a pair of clasped hands.  ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Enamelled gold <i>fede</i> ring, with a lozenge shaped bezel set with pearls surrounding an almandine garnet engraved with clasped hands, Italy, 1640-60.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Church, Rachel, <u>Rings</u>, London, V&A Publishing, 2011, p. 54-55, fig. 65"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bury, Shirley, <u>Jewellery Gallery Summary Catalogue </u> (Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982), 33/L/10"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles, <u>Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, p. 105, cat. 667"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"hands","id":"x31539"},{"text":"Flowers","id":"x31099"},{"text":"lozenges","id":"AAT9791"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"love","id":"AAT55165"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["857-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"857","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017KE2967","2019LP9240","2019LT2779","2019LW4185"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-21","availableToBook":false}}