The Cultural History of Rings

The ring is undoubtedly the bodily ornament which has generated the most power, mystery, magic, desire and thought in the general history of adornment. As the 20th century has ended, it is appropriate to study the design of this particular item and, attempt to review the contemporary creation of rings. The ring is an object which it is possible to think so much and yet so little about. It is no longer worn for a special event or to signify a certain belief, but for the simple desire to please or, above all, to provoke; that it is directed at a minority in any case; that it is not art; that it can be no more than a mirror of fashion in which our society sees its own reflection, inherently linked to the development of a culture in sharp decline: that it does not exist because no one sees it, displays it in museums and galleries, or wears it. At first sight, therefore, it does seem difficult to define precisely the aesthetics and artistry involved. It is true that the expression, ‘the art of the ring’ could have several possible meanings. In the broadest sense, it could refer to all the skills traditionally put into making this small object by the goldsmith or jeweler and, more particularly, it could also apply to all the processes the artist -jeweler uses to express an ideal or a more personal emotion.

Linking a part of the body to the thinking or glances it attracts, this revealing object reflects our lifestyle, culture, society and, on a larger scale, our fears and our world. Rings have always existed and still exist in every part of the globe, even though current knowledge of this art as practised by certain prehistoric or geographically more distant cultures is slight. Within the creative freedom, one thing lies at the heart of the work undertaken by artistjewelers: the symbolic and aesthetic scope cif rings. their strong reference to fingers, hands and, by extension, the body and its movements. The ring of today is an experience of the living world, so that at each moment new perceptions take shape. It is therefore quite clear that, while the conception and design of a ring are certainly the product of tradition, its more contemporary experience is genuinely practical; it has its own formal and specific language.

The ring is a work of reflection and personal research by every artist -jeweler; it seems always to conform perfectly to both personal and collective spheres of interest and to be linked to a more general search for truth. In order to understand the semantic changes undergone by rings, it is important to see how their form has progressed in relation to technical developments and in parallel with various social and religious functions; and then to study contemporary artist -jewelers’ creations. The whole history of forms and techniques demonstrates the strength of the designers’ creative investment. Contemporary artists all share the desire to take account of economic circumstances and to bring something of reality and the personal into the very material of their creations. This reaches the essence of that aesthetic universe which is so close to our beliefs and our dreams and which touches on the truth of life.

Rings are, quite rightly, seen as items of adornment with a decorative purpose and well-defined functions. However. the studies that have been devoted to rings have tended to focus on describing their design or form, in isolation from the rest Of history and the history of art. Defined simply as a small object intended to adorn one or several fingers of the hand, the ring automatically acquires limitations as to its use and the part of the body it concerns. That definitely distinguishes it from a statue or a picture, but if the ring is to be fully understood, it needs to be placed within a more general aesthetic context. For archaeologists, rings are precious relics. With the efficient technical resources available today, historians can authenticate this small object with a large degree of certainty and trace its date in history, placing it more generally within a historical and social reconstruction and thereby give meaning to its existence in the organisation of the life and beliefs of a past civilisation. Simultaneous and more specific analysis of changes in the form of rings and in the materials and techniques used to manufacture them can enable art historians to make rings more understandable and accessible. However, the interest attracted by this specific item of adornment and analysis of its formal development also shows that it can acquire, over the centuries, genuine artistic value compared with the mere usage value it may have had at one time. Form and function thus seem to be the two vital and almost inseparable poles in the history of this small object.