{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121231"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121231/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2682/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BR2682/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BR2682","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BR2683","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EL6267","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN3697","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA6944","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA6946","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB3104","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121231/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121231","accessionNumber":"816-1902","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Gems have long been considered by all peoples as somehow magical because of their brilliance of colour and hardness, but other materials, such as teeth, also had magical properties.\r\nThis ring has the hoop engraved with two inscriptions, providing double the power; one a magic formula, the other a biblical phrase. The magical charm: ‘BURO + BERTO + BERNETO’ is to protect against toothache; the tooth set in the bezel may well have been expected to contribute to the prophylactic power of the words. The biblical phrase 'CONSUMMATUM + EST' are the last words Christ spoke on the Cross, and were used as a charm to calm storms.\r\nAs this ring is large, it is probably it belonged to a man, and as storms would endanger the wearer only when at sea, it has been suggested that a travelling merchant who undertook many sea voyages might be a possible candidate for ownership.","physicalDescription":"Ring, gold, wolf's tooth. The shoulders are decorated with stiff-leafed foliage moulded in high relief against a cross-hatched background. On each side of the ring are pierced pear-shaped holes within which there are small openwork crowns. The heart-shaped bezel is set with a wolf's tooth. Inside the hoop is a later inscription, engraved in black letter:  <i>+ Buro + Berto + Berneto + Consum[m]atum e[st]</i>.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"Tooth","id":"AAT11855"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold; wolf's tooth","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Amulets","id":"THES48995"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BR2682","2007BR2683","2010EL6267","2007BN3697","2017KA6944","2017KA6946","2017KB3104"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91 (VA)","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"6","shelf":"B","box":"12"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"},{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1200-1300","earliest":"1200-01-01","latest":"1300-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"around 1375 - 1425","earliest":"1375-01-01","latest":"1425-12-31"},"association":{"text":"altered","id":"AAT105442"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"0.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"2.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"2.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"<i>+ Buro + Berto + Berneto + Consum[m]atum e[st]</i>","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"The first three words beginning with 'B' are a magical charm to appease toothache. The last is an abbreviation of Christ's final words on the cross, used as a charm to calm storms.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"engraved inside the hoop; in black letter."}],"objectHistory":"The ring was one of a group of 19 objects (which included ten Spanish tiles) which the Museum purchased from Dr R. Forrer of Rosheimerstrasse, Strassburg, for £80, in October 1902. Curators argued that this 'gold ring set with a wolf's tooth (?) as a charm ... [is] different from any in our collections', and on accession the ring is described as a 'Gold ring (Gothic) extremely rich and handsome in the design of its setting, with finely engraved inscription inside'.","historicalContext":"The inscription: ‘BURO + BERTO + BERNETO’ is a magical charm against toothache; the tooth set into the bezel may well have been expected to contribute to the prophylactic power of the words. The biblical phrase 'CONSUMMATUM + EST' are the last words Christ spoke on the Cross, and were was used as a charm to calm storms.This combination of charms is not, however, unusual, as other examples are known. \r\nAs this ring is large, it is probably it belonged to a man, and as storms would endanger the wearer only when at sea, it has been suggested by Sarah Bercusson that a travelling merchant could be a possible candidate for ownership.","briefDescription":"Gold ring, the heart-shaped bezel set with a wolf's tooth. A later black letter inscription inside the hoop reads <i>Buro + Berto + Berneto + Consum[m]atum e[st]</i>, used as charms against toothache and to calm storms. England or France, 1200-1300, the inscription probably 1375-1425.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Alexander, Jonathan, and Paul Binski (eds.), Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England 1200-1400, London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1987.","id":"AUTH347483"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ward, A. et al, <u>The Ring</u>, London 1981, no 131."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Church, Rachel, <u>Rings</u>, London, V&A Publishing, 2011, p.22"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dr R. Forrer, Nominal File, Pt 3 1901-1903 MA/1/F965/3"}],"production":"The later engraving around 1375 - 1425","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"tooth","id":"AAT11855"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["816-1902"],"accessionNumberNum":"816","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1902,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR2067","2019LT5037","2019LW0568"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-22","recordCreationDate":"2006-02-17","availableToBook":false}}