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18th century mourning ring with a hand-painted sepia miniature of a funeral urn framed by weeping willow branches. The details on the black enamel band identify this as a memorial piece for R. Cook, with an obituary date of November 29th, 1774 at the age of 71.
18th century mourning ring with a hand-painted sepia miniature of a funeral urn framed by weeping willow branches. The details on the black enamel band identify this as a memorial piece for R. Cook, with an obituary date of November 29th, 1774 at the age of 71.

Georgian Mourning Urn Miniature Ring dated 1774

$2,400.00

An 18th century mourning ring that circa dates to one year before the start of the American Revolution, featuring a hand-painted sepia miniature of a funeral urn framed by weeping willow branches. The details on the black enamel band identify this as a memorial piece for R. Cook, with an obituary date of November 29th, 1774 at the age of 71.

It's a rare example of Georgian memorial jewelry, because of the undulating style of the band which seems to have been used for a brief period from about the 1760s to the early 1780s.

Sepia paintings such as this were popular as memorial pieces; the paint was made of dissolved or macerated hair. The urn has been associated with cremation, as a receptacle for the body's ashes, since Ancient times, and its extension as a symbolic reference to the deceased in memorial pieces is a natural evolution.

DETAILS: Approximately 7/16" north to south and 3/8" east to west across the face. The band measures about 2.18 mm wide all around. The miniature is painted in sepia on a natural material, likely ivory. XFR tests to 19k gold.

SIZE: 7 1/4. Not resizable. 

CONDITION: This ring has survived in exceptional condition for its age, with subtle wear to the shoulder details, bezel and enamel. There's a slight amount of dust under the glass, but the image is still crisp and clear even after almost 250 years on the planet.