Ring

Location: Spain, Eibar

Materials: iron, gold damascene

Dimensions: length (shield) 4.1 cm

Accession Number: ZUL 89

Other Notes:

The face of the ring is shaped as a shield of almost arrowhead form. The band for the finger is forked at the point where it attaches to the face. Its decoration consists of the standard depiction of a wyvern, whose tail terminates in foliation which goes on to fill the composition. This is punch-decorated and in two colours of gold. Three bands of gold decorate the edge: the outer is of ‘red’ gold (oro rojo), with a series of round concave punches, the central band is of ‘green’ gold leaf, and the inner is of ‘green’ wire. Two gold-relief blossoms are randomly applied to the face. The band of the ring is similarly decorated in its wider sections. This ring is a good example of the type of very inexpensive damascene objects made in series during the 1920s and 1930s. There was a range of different designs, but these were always drawn from the most common elements used in the decoration of the more expensive products.

Bibliography:

J. D. Lavin (ed.), The Art and Tradition of the Zuloagas: Spanish Damascene from the Khalili Collection, Oxford 1997, cat. 63, p. 170.