{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O121931"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O121931/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HV9286/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HV9286/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HV9286","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV9284","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV9285","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HL7038","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HL7039","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/O121931/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O121931","accessionNumber":"647-1871","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":" This gold ring set with an uncut or cabochon sapphire was more than just a fashionable jewel.  Medieval authors ascribed magical or spiritual properties to gemstones. Sapphires were believed by some writers to promote chastity, peace and reconciliation and to cure snake bites. The cool blue colour of the stone was also thought to cure headaches and heal ulcers. This celestial blue colour was described by the writer Bartholomeus Anglicus (died 1272) as 'most like heaven in fair weather' and was associated with the Virgin Mary, often depicted wearing a blue gown. The heavenly connection made sapphires a popular choice for bishops and several sapphire rings have been found in the tombs of English and French bishops. \n\nThe hoop of the ring finishes in two dragon heads, grasping the bezel and sapphire in their mouths. Dragons are commonly seen in medieval art - they represented the forces of evil, lust and of the wilderness but also symbolised the pre-Christian world. Dragons appear in the legends of many saints, such as St George's battle with the dragon or the miraculous survival of St Margaret in the belly of the beast. They are also associated with some medieval bishops - the founding bishops of the cathedrals in Paris and Rouen, Sts Marcellus and Romain were famous for ridding their cities of the creatures. \n\nThis ring forms part of a collection of 760 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-87). 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":"Gold ring, the hexagonal bezel set with a simple faceted sapphire. The shoulders decorated with chased dragon-heads","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"sapphire","id":"AAT11083"}],"techniques":[{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraved gold set with a sapphire","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2015HV9286","2015HV9284","2015HV9285","2015HL7038","2015HL7039","2017KA7068"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"017","id":"THES407879"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"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":"2.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold ring, the hexagonal bezel set with a simple faceted sapphire. The shoulders decorated with chased dragon-heads, West Europe, 14th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Waterton, Edmund <u>Dactyliotheca Watertoniana: a descriptive catalogue of the finger-rings in the collection of Mrs Waterton,</u> (manuscript, 1866,  now in National Art Library)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles, <u>Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, cat. 260, pl. XI"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bury, Shirley, <u>Jewellery Gallery Summary Catalogue </u> (Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982), 32/J/29"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Nelson, P. (1940). An English medieval gold finger-ring. The Antiquaries Journal, 20(4), 509-509. doi:10.1017/S0003581500095494"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Ik, Maria van Gelre. De hertogin en haar uitzonderlijke gebedenboek (1380-1429)</u>, ed. by Johan Oostermann. Nijmegen / Zwolle: Museum Het Valkhof / Waanders Uitgevers, 2018. ISBN 9789462622012. Catalogue of the exhibition held at Museum Het Valkhof Nijmegen, 13 October 2018 - 6 January 2019."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dragons","id":"x30096"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["647-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"647","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JC5701","2017KD7021","2019LR6592","2019LT1199","2019LU5093"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-15","recordCreationDate":"2006-03-14","availableToBook":false}}