Souvenir d’amour

Sentimental Neo-Classical Ring with Miniature and Hair in Gold, c. 1790

€ 1,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Sentimental Neo-Classical Ring with Miniature and Hair in Gold, c. 1790

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

Towards the end of the 18th century and well into the 19th century, people cultivated a true cult of friendship and love. Wonderful friendship albums were created, called liber amicorum, with artistic ink drawings and verses. Silhouette drawings were exchanged to remember the features of a loved one's face, and jewellery likewise became a medium in which to convey one's feelings. This ring is a testament to this culture - it tells of love in both obvious and hidden ways. Beneath a disc of curved glass, we see carefully braided strands of blonde hair interspersed with fine gray strands. A golden astragal and a frame of royal blue enamel frame the braiding. Applied to it, we see a laurel wreath held with bows, carved from bone. This in turn frames a delicate sepia miniature in an engraved gold frame: It shows a young woman holding a dove, the bird of Venus. The piece was created around 1790 as a love token – not as mourning jewellery, but as a reminder of a loved one who was still alive. At a time when photography had not yet been invented and neither the telephone nor the railroad could quickly connect lovers who were physically separated, hair ornaments were the most direct connection between two people besides letters. On the type and time of origin of the ring, see Gisela Zick: Gedenke mein. Freundschafts- und Memorialschmuck 1770-1870, Dortmund 1980, with numerous examples.

Size & Details

Souvenir d’amour

€ 1,890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more

Souvenir d’amour

Rings

Privacy settings