Ring with the Virgin and Child and Saints Margaret and Catherine

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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 gifts and bequests or included in a dowry settlement. Used as a private call to regular and intimate daily prayers, many examples are deeply worn. This suggests that the wearer rubbed the ring during devotions.

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