{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121059"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121059/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2687/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2687/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BR2687","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BR2688","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121059/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121059","accessionNumber":"805-1871","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’. \r\n\r\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. The ridged hoop of the ring is engraved with the phrase  'I was dead, I was brought to life, I was lost  and I was found', taken from the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of St Luke (Luke 15:24). The use of religious names and phrases was believed to give rings a special power and ability to protect their owners. \n\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.","physicalDescription":"Silver signet ring with a circular bezel engraved with a coat of arms and inscribed in lombardic characters <i>+ N NOTAR ANGELIS ACC.</i> the ridged hoop inscribed <i>MORTUUS. FUERAM. A.REVIT/+PERIERAM ET INVENTUS SUM</i>","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":["2007BR2687","2007BR2688"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"6","shelf":"A","box":"15"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"west"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"14th century","earliest":"1300-01-01","latest":"1400-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.2","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":"1.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"engraved with a coat of arms","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"inscribed <i>+ N NOTAR ANGELIS ACC.</i>","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"in lombardic characters"},{"content":"inscribed <i>MORTUUS. FUERAM. A.REVIT/+PERIERAM ET INVENTUS SUM</i>","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"'I was dead, I was brought to life, I was lost and I was found'","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"the ridged hoop"}],"objectHistory":"Acquired by Edmund Waterton in Rome","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver signet ring with a circular bezel engraved with a coat of arms and inscribed in lombardic characters <i>+ N NOTAR ANGELIS ACC.</i> the ridged hoop inscribed, West Europe, 14th 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. 511"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Church, Rachel, <u>Rings</u>, London, V&A Publishing/ Thames and Hudson, 2017, fig. 28, p. 29"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"escutcheons (coats of arms)","id":"AAT138227"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["805-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"805","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017KE2515","2019LR5512","2019LT6433","2019LU2868"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-02-14","availableToBook":false}}