c. 1790s Georgian 'Altar of Love' Sentimental Ring

c. 1790s Georgian ‘Altar of Love’ Sentimental Ring

A lovely c. 1790s English georgian amatory ring, likely made to commemorate a betrothal or marriage, the ring face with a miniature of twin hearts beneath a lover’s crown, all atop the altar of love and against a ground of royal blue bristol glass, within a halo of seed pearls and further framed by tassels, floral garlands, and a lock of hair stylized as a knotted bow. Hearts above a column or pillar, referred to as the “altar of love” by scholars, was an extraordinarily popular sentimental motif during the neoclassical era, found in several variations across various mediums and European countries. The heart was sometimes singular with Cupid’s arrow (or bow and quiver); it was also sometimes rendered with flames for passion. Floral garlands (the garland of love) were popular accompaniments, along with a halo (the lover’s crown) or pair of doves (to symbolize marriage). The inclusion of blue bristol glass as a cartouche within the larger composition points to English workmanship, although this design element is more commonly found in larger sentimental hairwork pendants. For a similar interior ring face design, also featuring a secondary cartouche within a primary composition of garlands and tassels, see p. 168 of “Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830” by Ginny Redington Dawes with Olivia Collings. Several ‘Altar of Love’ rings are in the Koch collections (no. 985, 988, 989, 1015).
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Description

Date: c. 1790s

Ring size: USA 8, UK P, EU 56.5 (resizable via laser welder— please contact me for more info regarding ring resizing)

Materials: seed pearls, bristol glass, hair, watercolor, glass, solid 9k rose gold

Workmanship origin: English (sourced from the UK)

Weight: 6.3 grams

Dimension of ring face: 30 x 14.5 mm

Depth of ring face: 5.6 mm

Width of shank: 1.7 – 10 mm

Thickness of shank: 1.25 mm

Condition: this ring came to me in an original unopened condition, with many interior elements having fallen loose due to age-disintegration of the original adhesive. My jeweler carefully opened the glass compartment. Loose elements were sorted carefully and re-attached with HXTAL NYL-1, a non-yellowing and optically clear epoxy museum conservators use to restore antique glass and porcelain. All elements in the miniature are original; every loose component was accounted for after the composition was completely re-attached; no new material was introduced. My jeweler observed that the parchment backing material is consistent with other original Georgian miniatures he’s handled. The cover glass was cleaned and secured back in place. There is some light age-related surface wear to the glass and gold. The inside of the glass cover has a tiny flat chip to the corner, probably an original production flaw. The ring head posterior has a small and shallow “709/M” lightly scratched to a corner, possibly a later dealer’s inventory mark.

c. 1790s Georgian ‘Altar of Love’ Sentimental Ring

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