{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O120974"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O120974/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL8798/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL8798/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BL8798","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BL8793","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA6949","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O120974/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O120974","accessionNumber":"781-1871","objectType":"Signet ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This ring would have been used as a signet.  Personal seals (secreta) provided an essential legal safeguard and were used to  witness documents such as  wills, deeds of  gift, loans and commercial documents,  personal letters and land indentures. A letter from Lord Berengario in Verona in 906 underscores the  importance of the signet:  ‘So that this may be more truly believed and more faithfully observed, we order this to be sealed with our ring, confirming it with our  own hand’. \n\nSignets could be engraved with a coat of arms for those entitled to bear them, with a personal device or sign or an initial letter. The most expensive signets were made of gold, sometimes set with an engraved gem or hardstone. More affordable alternatives were engraved silver or bronze. \r\n\r\nThis ring forms part of a collection of over 600 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-81). 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.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Silver signet ring with a circular bezel engraved with letters, possibly 'LR' in black lettering.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraved silver","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BL8798","2007BL8793","2017KA6949"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"6","shelf":"A","box":"2"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Possibly Germany "}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"late 15th century","earliest":"1450-01-01","latest":"1500-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"1.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","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","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver signet ring with a circular bezel engraved with a group of letters, possibly 'LR' in black lettering, made in Europe, late 15th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles, <u>Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, cat. 591"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["781-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"781","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017KE1811","2019LP0855","2019LT5821","2019LU0565"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-02-13","availableToBook":false}}