£3,400
Scottish Silver & Applied Arts | 530
Auction: 15 August 2018 at 11:00 BST
unmarked, the oval head with portrait behind glass after Alexis-Simon Belle, in a scalloped silver mount with yellow gold shank, in later leather box
Note: Portrait rings and other jewellery have been recorded as used and gifted by the Stuart Royal family from as early as King Charles I, to commemorate his execution, to the restoration of King Charles II. This medium, however, was seldom used by the Jacobite court, although some very rare portrait rings of Prince Charles from the mid-18th century and later are known. Much Jacobite jewellery consists of later supporters' jewellery, rather than period pieces, and are not as closely connected to the Court, such as this.
This ring is a very rare and early example, depicting the Old Pretender and likely dating to the uprising of 1715 when King James was still the figurehead of the Jacobite cause.
The portrait appears to be after the Belle portrait while James III was Prince of Wales in c1700 or the portrait of him immediately after taking the title of King in 1702. While there are similarities to both the fact that James appears to be wearing a wig of white hair rather than as in the portraits his natural hair does show some artistic license. The portrait shows James in the finery associated with his position as rightful King and notably even in such a small scale with his sash of the Order of the Garter, making sure this claim to his Royal lineage is prominent.
References:
Corp, Edward, 'The King Over The Water, portraits of the Stuarts in Exile after 1689', Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 2001