Ring with the Virgin and Child and Saints Margaret and Catherine
c. 1425–c. 1480
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
2.2 × 2.2 cm (7/8 × 7/8 in.)
Classification
jewelry
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
203695
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Though this ring cannot be definitively dated, archeological and stylistic evidence suggest that it belongs to a small group made in England in the mid-fifteenth century. All, including this example, share a simple ribbed construction and are engraved with subjects such as the Crucifixion, the Trinity, or images of saints with their attributes. This example depicts the Virgin and Child flanked by Saints Margaret and Catherine. Such rings—traditionally called iconographic rings—were presented as ...
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...