FOURTEEN MOURNING RINGS, all inscribed for members of the Smyth family of Ashton Court and dating between 1726 and 1848
Mourning,
or ‘motto’ rings were distributed to relatives and close friends at
funerals. They were usually paid for out of the estate of the deceased
and are often mentioned in wills. 18th-century examples tend
to be simple gold and black enamel hoops, later examples are more
ornate. They are inscribed with the name and dates of the deceased and
sometimes incorporate hair. Today, when death is largely a taboo
subject, they remind us that in earlier times death was dealt with in a
more open fashion.
This is a remarkable and very rare group representing 120 years and
several generations of one family. It shows how styles changed as well
as interesting details such as the use of white enamel rather than black
for an unmarried woman. There are a couple of duplicates, albeit in
different sizes, but the collection was sold as a whole.