{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121882"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121882/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4411/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4411/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BN4411","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN4413","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA7068","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O121882/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121882","accessionNumber":"646-1871","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The shaped gold bezel of this ring holds a carved chacedony female bust set in gold claws. Most gemstones found in medieval rings are cabochon (polished but unfaceted) stones, but occasionally earlier carved Roman or Greek hardstones were used. The green bust on this ring is thought to be Roman. Between the 12th and 14th century, ancient gems were reused in jewellery, appreciated for the superb quality of their carving. They were frequently re-set for use as personal seals, authenticating letters  and legal documents. \n\nRoman or Hellenistic images of gods or mythological figures were not so much misunderstood as re-interpreted in  a Christian framework. In medieval Constantinople, gemstones engraved with subjects from classical antiquity were  sometimes labelled with the names of Christian saints such as an amethyst portrait of the Roman emperor Caracalla which was recut and renamed as Saint Peter. The figure on this ring may have been seen merely as a female beauty, but she could also have been interpreted as a saint or princess. \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.\n\n","physicalDescription":"Gold ring, the four claw bezel is set with a green chalcedony bust.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"chalcedony","id":"AAT11134"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gold set with green chalcedony","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BN4411","2007BN4413","2017KA7068"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"5","shelf":"C","box":"16"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"west"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1200-1300","earliest":"1200-01-01","latest":"1300-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"3.2","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":"1.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Found at Canmore Place, near Witney, Oxford in 1856. Part of the Waterton Collection, shown at the Ironmonger's Hall Exhibition in 1861","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold ring, the four claw bezel is set with a green chalcedony bust, Western Europe, 1200-1300. The chalcedony bust may be Roman. ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"busts","id":"AAT47457"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["646-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"646","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017KD7019","2019LP2575","2019LT1191","2019LW6697"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-03-14","availableToBook":false}}