One of Webster’s favourites from the collection is the Poison Apple Ring, modelled as an apple pave-set with richly coloured red rubies. It is clasped in a jewelled hand, set with diamond rings and bracelets, bringing to mind a distinctly female, but defiantly dangerous, suspect.
The apple is offered up to the onlooker, not necessarily the wearer, as a delicious temptation, but be warned! The apple also opens to reveal a hidden compartment. The motif draws on the tradition of Eve and the forbidden fruit, and popular depictions of the story of Snow White, where the Evil Queen tricks Snow White into an enchanted sleep with a bite from the beautiful, but poisoned, apple.
There is a long tradition of poison rings in jewellery, believed to have originated in Asia and India. They have a rich history dating back to Antiquity, with Pliny the Elder even recording an instance of a government official's use of a hidden poison ring, and grew in popularity in Europe in the Middle Ages.
This juxtaposition of the deadly and the tempting epitomises the idea of the femme fatale, which Webster uses to such striking effect.
