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Ring with the Virgin and Child and Saints Margaret and Catherine

A work made of gold.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of gold.

Date:

c. 1425–c. 1480

Artist:

English

About this artwork

Though this ring cannot be definitively dated, archeological and stylistic evidence suggest that it belongs to a small group made in England in the mid-fifteenth century. All, including this example, share a simple ribbed construction and are engraved with subjects such as the Crucifixion, the Trinity, or images of saints with their attributes. This example depicts the Virgin and Child flanked by Saints Margaret and Catherine. Such rings—traditionally called iconographic rings—were presented as gifts and bequests or included in a dowry settlement. Used as a private call to regular and intimate daily prayers, many examples are deeply worn. This suggests that the wearer rubbed the ring during devotions.

Status

On View, Gallery 238

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Title

Ring with the Virgin and Child and Saints Margaret and Catherine

Place

England (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1420–1485

Medium

Gold

Dimensions

2.2 × 2.2 cm (7/8 × 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection

Reference Number

2019.1231

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/203695/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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