Ring
Unknown Artist
late 18th–early 19th century
Medium
Gold (?)
Dimensions
Height: 15/16 in. (2.4 cm)
Classification
Jewelry
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Zita Spiss, 1991
Accession Number
1993.3.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold ring, crafted in Vienna during the late 18 to early 19th century, exemplifies the exquisite jewelry traditions of the Austrian Empire. Measuring just 15/16 (2.4 cm) in height, it belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, gifted through the bequest of Zita Spiss in 1991. Its classification as jewelry highlights Vienna's renown as a hub for finely wrought personal adornments, often blending technical mastery with symbolic portraiture. The ring features profiles of women, emperors, and men—likely enameled or engraved cameos capturing i...