{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O122082"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122082/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HV9243/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HV9243/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HV9243","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BJ4353","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BJ4351","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HV9244","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HW0332","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HW0333","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA6960","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O122082/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O122082","accessionNumber":"632-1871","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Viking were the seafaring peoples of Scandinavia in the early medieval period. They were skilled metalworkers and attached a high importance to precious metals. Large hoards of coins and gold and silver jewellery have been found in Scandinavia and across northern Europe. Gold jewellery showed status and success as a trader and a raider and was worn by men and women. It could be reused as currency - for much of their history, Vikings did not have a settled currency but would use other currencies such as  Islamic or Byzantine coins or pieces of gold or silver jewellery hacked into pieces and valued according to their weight. \n\nA Viking leader rewarded and retained the loyalty of his followers by gifts of gold or jewellery and by sharing the spoils of raids. Giving jewellery was both a concrete reward and an acknowledgment of the recipient's place in the social hierachy. The saga of Egil Skallagrimson describes the battles which Egil fought on behalf of the British king Aethelstan and states his pride was only satisfied by being given both the seat of honour at a feast but also a gold arm-ring, symbolically presented on the tip of a sword. Aethelstan was thereby fulfilling his role as good lord and 'ring-giver'. \n\nThe twisted shape of this ring is quite commonly seen in Viking finger rings but also as arm or neck rings. It could either be a simple gold twist or a more complicated form made of plaited gold wires. \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, of plaited wire, tapering towards the back where they are beaten flat","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plaited gold wire","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Viking","id":"AAT19558"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2015HV9243","2006BJ4353","2006BJ4351","2015HV9244","2015HW0332","2015HW0333","2017KA6960"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"018","id":"THES407880"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"THES257147"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"9th century to 11th century","earliest":"0800-01-01","latest":"1100-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Ex Waterton Collection. \r\nThere are comparable rings in the British Museum (Dalton 213, 214, 215, 215A) and in the National Museums of Scotland. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold ring, of plaited wire, tapering towards the back where they are beaten flat, Viking, 9th to 11th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bury, Shirley, <u>Introduction to Rings</u>, London, 1984, p.22, cat 23 C "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles, <u>Catalogue of rings in the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London, 1930, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, p.64, cat. 230"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bury, Shirley, <u>Jewellery Gallery Summary Catalogue </u> (Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982), 32/ H/ 8"},{"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)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["632-1871"],"accessionNumberNum":"632","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1871,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JC5700","2019LU6364"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-18","recordCreationDate":"2006-03-16","availableToBook":false}}