{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121747"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121747/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM1060/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM1060/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM1060","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM1061","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA7065","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121747/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121747","accessionNumber":"654-1871","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Rings are the most commonly surviving medieval jewels. They were worn by both sexes, across all levels of society. Some portraits show wearers with multiple rings across all their fingers. Although rings were worn for decoration, they also had important practical functions such as marriage rings or signet rings. \n\nThis gilt bronze ring is decorated with the glass cameo heads of the Roman Emperors Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. Classical history and literature remained the basis of a liberal education and these figures would have been recognisable to medieval wearers. \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":"Gilt bronze ring, the hoop set with antique paste cameos of Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian, inscribed in black letter 'mur'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gilt bronze","id":"x35084"},{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gilt bronze set with paste cameos","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BM1060","2007BM1061","2017KA7065"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91 (VA)","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"6","shelf":"B","box":"21"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"west"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1400-1500","earliest":"1400-01-01","latest":"1500-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"3.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"1.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'mur'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscription on the hoop; in black letter"}],"objectHistory":"Ex Waterton Collection. Charles Oman compares it to a ring in the collection of the Musee de Cluny, Paris which is of similar shape, engraved with M+M and set with a small red paste (No.199972). ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gilt bronze ring, the hoop set with paste cameos of Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian, inscribed in black letter 'mur' (meaning unknown), Western Europe, 1400-1500.","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. 939"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Hadrian","id":"N443"},{"text":"Marcus Aurelius","id":"N444"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cameos","id":"AAT47261"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["654-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"654","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017KD7029","2019LR6058","2019LT1093","2019LU3293"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-03-07","availableToBook":false}}