Wendy Ramshaw
Ringstand with Nine Rings and Base

Ringstand with Nine Rings and Base
Ringstand with Nine Rings and Base
Ringstand with Nine Rings and Base
ArtistBritish, 1939–2018
CultureBritish
Titles
  • Ringstand with Nine Rings and Base
Date1976–1977
Medium18k gold, garnets, pink sapphires, rubies, brass, and acrylic
DimensionsOverall: 6 3/16 × 1 1/2 × 1 3/16 in. (15.7 × 3.8 × 3 cm)
Credit LineHelen Williams Drutt Collection, museum purchase funded by the Morgan Foundation in honor of Catherine Asher Morgan
Object number2002.4035.A-.L
Non exposé

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DescriptionSince her postgraduate days in the early 1970s, Wendy Ramshaw has been making rings, clusters of which have adorned turned pillars in a seemingly inexhaustible progression of possibilities and combinations. Rather than following a single organizing principle, her vocabulary of geometric and abstract shapes renews itself in each composition. Ramshaw's stands were at first made from either acrylic or metal but later featuring metal with inlaid resin. Functionally, the ringstands serve as storage/display units for when the rings are not worn. Yet with their highly architectural and sculptural forms, the stands achieve a role beyond their intended function. They make a sculptural statement that removes the entire composition from the realm of jewelry. On rare occasions—for exhibition purposes only—Ramshaw has made coordinating bases for her ringstands, as seen here.

ProvenanceThe artist; acquired by Helen Williams Drutt English; purchased by MFAH, 2002.
Exhibition History"Small Collection," Oxford Gallery, Oxford, England, 1977.

"British Silversmithing and Jewellery," British Embassy, Brussels, 1980.

"Jewelry International," American Craft Museum II, New York, May 25–September 1, 1984; Nan Duskin, Philadelphia, 1984.

"Modern Jewelry, 1964-1986: The Helen Williams Drutt Collection," The Château Dufresne, Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, November 15, 1984–February 3, 1985; Honolulu Academy of Arts, January 22–March 9, 1986; Cleveland Institute of Art, September 5–30, 1986; Philadelphia Museum of Art, November 2, 1986–February 1, 1987.

"Wendy Ramshaw David Watkins: Schmuck Jewellery," Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, Germany, March 21–May 17, 1987; Deutsches Golschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany, May 24–July 5, 1987.

"Contemporary Jewelry: 1964-1993, Selected Works, Helen Williams Drutt Collection," Arkansas Art Center Decorative Arts Museum, Little Rock, October 8–November 21, 1993.

"Schmuck Unserer Zeit, 1964-1993, Sammlung Helen Williams Drutt, USA," Museum Bellerive, Zürich, February 10–May 1, 1994.

"A Moveable Feast: Helen Williams Drutt Collection 1964-1994," Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, November 18, 1994–January 8, 1995; Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Ostend, Belgium; June 17–September 24, 1995.

"Beyond Ornament: Contemporary Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, August 16, 2003–February 29, 2004.

"Ornament as Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 30, 2007–January 27, 2008; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, March 14–July 6, 2008; Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, August 16, 2008–January 4, 2009; Tacoma Art Museum, Washington, June 27–September 13, 2009.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Two stickers on bottom of base. "DISC FOR STAND / WENDY RAMSHAW / To BE PLACED IN" and "THE CENTER WHEN ON DISPLAY / WENDY RAMSHAW / Slide - 13 / Ringset 1977.149"

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Ringstand with Eight Rings
Wendy Ramshaw
1972
18k yellow gold, amethyst, carnelian, white agate, and acrylic
2002.4032.A-.J
Ringstand with Six Rings
Wendy Ramshaw
1976
18k white gold, amethyst, peridot, tourmaline, acrylic, moonstone, and resin
2002.4034.A-.H
Necklace
c. 1890
Gold, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds
2004.2263
Queen's Crown
c. 1890
Repousse gold, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and gold leaf
2004.2256
King's Crown
c. 1890
Gold, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and copper
2004.2255
Pair of Arm Ornaments
c.1890
Gold, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds
2004.2266.1,.2
Betel Nut Box (Pandan)
18th-19th Century
Gold with inlaid garnets, emeralds, and rubies
2004.2405.A,.B
Bracelet
Late 19th–early 20th Century
Gold, bronze, rubies, diamonds, and garnets
2004.2262
Chest Ornament (Hiasan Dada)
19th century
Gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, and sapphires
2004.2275
Snuffbox or Pillbox
J. Weisager
mid 20th century
Gold, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and pearls
96.1325
Purse
David Webb
c. 1965
Gold, sapphires, diamonds, rubies, and seashell
94.1027
Pair of Arm Ornaments
c. 1890
Gold, rubies, and diamonds
2004.2264.1,.2