Advanced Search 
Ring set
Wendy Ramshaw was a key participant in the avant-garde "New Jewelry" movement of the 1970s and 80s and remained one of Britain's leading jewelers until her passing in 2018. She is known for her carefully composed ring sets, which operate as jewelry and small sculptures. They allow the wearer to create their own compositions. When not being worn, the rings can be displayed on a small stand with a removable finial on top. Girl Before a Mirror is one of a series that Ramshaw based on Picasso's portraits of women. Her black-and-silver composition draws inspiration from the bold black lines and the angular body in Picasso's 1932 painting Girl Before a Mirror. A series of seven rings with black resin inlay rest upon a nickel alloy column referencing the standing figure while rounded forms represent a buttock or a breast of the female form. By turning the painting’s colors and forms into three-dimensional sculpture, Girl Before a Mirror becomes an extension of the painting and challenges the viewer to consider the differences between fine and decorative arts.
Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Girl Before a Mirror
Ring set
Wendy Ramshaw (British, 1939 – 2018)
England (London)
1989
Object Place: England
Medium/Technique
Silver, resin
Dimensions
Overall: 17.1 x 5.4 x 5.1 cm, 429.7 gm (6 3/4 x 2 1/8 x 2 in., 0.9 lb.)
Credit Line
The Daphne Farago Collection
Accession Number2006.462.1-10
CollectionsEurope, Jewelry, Contemporary Art
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Sets
Wendy Ramshaw was a key participant in the avant-garde "New Jewelry" movement of the 1970s and 80s and remained one of Britain's leading jewelers until her passing in 2018. She is known for her carefully composed ring sets, which operate as jewelry and small sculptures. They allow the wearer to create their own compositions. When not being worn, the rings can be displayed on a small stand with a removable finial on top. Girl Before a Mirror is one of a series that Ramshaw based on Picasso's portraits of women. Her black-and-silver composition draws inspiration from the bold black lines and the angular body in Picasso's 1932 painting Girl Before a Mirror. A series of seven rings with black resin inlay rest upon a nickel alloy column referencing the standing figure while rounded forms represent a buttock or a breast of the female form. By turning the painting’s colors and forms into three-dimensional sculpture, Girl Before a Mirror becomes an extension of the painting and challenges the viewer to consider the differences between fine and decorative arts.
DescriptionSculptural striped silver and black enamel stand with nine rings. Top of stand unscrews to remove nine individual rings.
Approximately 16.5cm x 5cm. Nickel alloy stand, inlaid with bands of black resin. Series of four unique ring sets.
Approximately 16.5cm x 5cm. Nickel alloy stand, inlaid with bands of black resin. Series of four unique ring sets.
Marks
925 (on some rings)
ProvenanceWendy Ramshaw; Daphne Farago, November 13, 1989 Daphne Farago; to MFA, 2006, gift of Daphne Farago.