{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O123670"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123670/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM4024/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM4024/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM4024","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM4025","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA7039","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O123670/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O123670","accessionNumber":"M.326-1922","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Memorial rings have been made to commemorate people since the sixteenth century. Money was often left in wills in order for rings to be made for named individuals or to be distributed at the funeral. This white enamel and gold ring was made to commemorate the poet Anna Seward (1742-1809), known in her lifetime as the 'Swan of Lichfield'. She was a correspondent and biographer of Erasmus Darwin, knew and corresponded with Samuel Johnson,  James Boswell and Sir Walter Scott, who was her literary executor and edited her 'Poetical Works' after her death. \n\nAlthough Anna's father Thomas Seward had been an early exponent of education for women, his views changed with regard to his own daughter. In Walter Scott's introduction to Anna's writings, he claimed that  \"Literature was deemed an undesirable pursuit for a young lady in Miss Seward’s situation - the heiress of an independent fortune, and destined to occupy a considerable rank in society\" suggesting that Thomas was \"probably under the apprehension that his continued encouragement might produce in his daughter that dreaded phaenomenon, a learned lady.\" \n\r\nWhen she died in 1809, she left money for rings valued from five guineas to two guineas to friends and relatives. Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby, the celebrated Ladies of Llangollen, were to receive a ring each as was her friend Mary Powys, as a memorial to their 'thirty years of friendship and correspondence'. To Mr William Feary of Lichfield, she left ‘the sum of five guineas either for a mourning ring or any other more acceptable token of my esteem and respect for his virtues’. Mrs White, the wife of her executor, received an antique fan, her best diamond ring and a minature portrait of Anna by 'the late celebrated Miers'. \r\n\r\nShe left no instructions as to the design of the ring, leaving it, we presume, to the discretion of her executors, but this ring is still very much in the style of earlier neo-classical rings. There is no overt religious imagery but the weeping willow is a common symbol of grief and a braided section of her hair is set into a small aperture on the front of the bezel. The white enamel was chosen to reflect the fact that she had never married. \r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"Gold mourning ring enamelled in black and white. The shaped rectangular bezel, with a willow tree reserved on white enamel with a small glazed locket containing hair. Inscribed behind <i>Anna/ Seward./ Ob. 25 March, 1809.' Aet. 66.</i>","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"hair","id":"AAT11814"},{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Enamelled and engraved gold with hair under glass","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2007BM4024","2007BM4025","2017KA7039"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91 (VA)","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"23","shelf":"D","box":"6"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1809","earliest":"1804-01-01","latest":"1813-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mr Cecil Crofton","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"1.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed <i>Anna/ Seward./ Ob. 25 March, 1809.' Aet. 66.</i>","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"behind"}],"objectHistory":"This ring was once owned by Cecil Crofton. Cecil Frederick Crofton was born Frederick William Martin on 10 November 1859 in Thorney, Cambridgeshire. After a brief career as an architect, he changed direction and became a professional actor. He was most active between 1882 and 1896 and may have changed his name during this period. He was an energetic collector of textiles, silver, furniture and art, in particular the works of Simeon Solomon. \r\n\r\nFrom 1913, Cecil F. Crofton made a series of generous gifts to the V&amp;A, including silver, works on paper, jewellery and textiles. Writing to the Director in November 1918, he explained his pleasure in making the gifts as he felt firstly, that it 'places in safety a few of my dearest possessions' but also that he felt himself to be 'under a debt of gratitude to the Museum... I have used it as a rest cure &amp; often when I have felt tired of the struggle &amp; squalor of our modern life, I have found refreshment in your treasure house'. \r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold mourning ring enamelled in black and white. The shaped rectangular bezel, with a willow tree reserved on white enamel with a small glazed locket containing hair. Inscribed behind <i>Anna/ Seward./ Ob. 25 March, 1809.' Aet. 66.</i>, England, ca.1809.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kairoff, T.. Anna Seward and the End of the Eighteenth Century. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barnard, Theresa <u>Anna Seward and the Battle for Authorship</u>, Birmingham, CW3 Journal (https://www2.shu.ac.uk/corvey/cw3journal/Issue%20one/barnard.html)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.C. Oulton, <u>The beauties of Anna Seward</u>, London, 1813"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"willow tree","id":"x35391"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"death","id":"x30761"},{"text":"mourning","id":"AAT238450"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.326-1922"],"accessionNumberNum":"326","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1922,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR2923","2019LT2631","2019LW7582"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-03","recordCreationDate":"2006-05-04","availableToBook":false}}