Designs for Four Rings, Plate 27 from 'Livre d'Aneaux d'Orfevrerie'
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 2 11/16 × 1 7/8 in. (6.9 × 4.8 cm) [oval plate] Sheet: 3 1/16 × 2 3/16 in. (7.8 × 5.5 cm) [cut]
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.57.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 16-century French jewelry design with *Designs for Four Rings*, 27 from Pierre Woeiriot de Bouzey II's *Livre d'Aneaux d'Orfevrerie* (Book of Goldsmith's Rings), created in 1561 This delicate engraving, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 7/8 inches on an oval plate, showcases Woeiriot's mastery in rendering intricate ring motifs—likely intended for goldsmiths crafting luxury adornments. The tiny scale mirrors the intimate size of wearable jewelry, capturing the Renaissance fascination with elaborate ornamentation inspired by classical antiquity and nature. As a leading ...