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

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.

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