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Ring with Celestial Motif
This splendid ring is a variation on the popular celestial theme of late 18th- and early 19th-century rings. Its bezel consists of individual diamonds mounted at evenly spaced intervals against a blue enamel background creating an allusion to the stars in the night sky. Rings in this syle were commonly called "bagues au firmament" (Rings of the Heavens). This ring exemplifies a popular bezel shape of the period: the oval, or "marquises." Close-set diamond sparks along the borders outline the central design to create a dazzling effect.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown] (?); Laura F. Delano, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1946, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1984-1987 | Objects of Adornment: Five Thousand Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. |
| 1987 | Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery and the Zucker Family Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 2/8/1962 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
France (Place of Origin)
Measurements
1 7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Laura F. Delano, 1946
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.1763