Ring
c. 1525–c. 1575
Medium
Gold, tourmaline, and traces of enamel
Dimensions
Bezel: 1.3 × 1 × 0.5 cm (1/2 × 3/8 × 3/16); Circumference: 5.7 cm (2 1/4 in.); Diameter: 1.8 cm (11/16 in.)
Classification
ring (jewelry)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
229964
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Bold in color, this ring is in keeping with mid- to late sixteenth-century Italian Renaissance fashion. Its large step-cut pink tourmaline is mounted on a cast gold setting, ornamented with a series of scrolls colored with touches of blue, green, and white enameling. In the period, many stones, like tourmaline, were believed to hold healing properties, and therefore thought beneficial as well as fashionable to wear.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...