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.
The Smyths were one of the most important families in Bristol from the 17th
century until the Second World War and their home, Ashton Court, is now
owned by Bristol City Council. They were benefactors to the city and
its surrounding areas – giving, amongst other things, ‘The People’s
Park’, Bedminster (now Greville Smyth Park), land for Wraxall School and
a large collection of natural history specimens to Bristol Museum (most
sadly destroyed when the Museum was bombed in 1940). Despite this,
Bristol Museum has very little material connected with the Smyths, apart
from some family portraits – including the portrait of young Florence
Smyth with her black page which the Friends helped the Museum purchase
in 2008. In addition the Museum holds portraits of three of the Smyths
represented by the rings.
The Art Gallery previously had just one 18th-century
mourning ring so these are a useful addition to the Museum’s jewellery
collection quite apart from the local and social interest. An
exhibition on ‘Death’ is currently in preparation and the rings will
definitely feature here. They might also be incorporated into the
silver displays at the Museum or displayed at Red Lodge along with the
relevant portraits.
The rings were purchased at auction (Humbert’s of Towcester) on 20 February 2014 at the price, including buyer’s premium, of £7170 funded in full by The Friends.
Footnote:
An exhibition on ‘Death’ is currently in preparation and the rings
will definitely feature here. They might also be incorporated into the
silver displays at the Museum or displayed at Red Lodge along with the
relevant portraits.
