there
are pearl earrings in the ears, as well as groups of pearls in the
head-ornament. The portrait is listed as a production of the French
School, but is of doubtful authenticity as a likeness of the unhappy
queen.
The
Italian fashion of ring-wearing in the sixteenth century is illustrated
by the portrait of a noblewoman by Lorenzo Lotto, in the Galleria
Carrara at Bergamo, Italy. On the right hand are two rings, on the
fourth and little finger respectively; the left hand bears three, one
on the index, apparently set with an engraved gem, and two on the
fourth finger, the larger of which seems to have as setting a pointed
diamond, while the smaller one, possibly bearing a little facetted
diamond, is on the second phalanx of the finger, a fashion sometimes
followed instead of wearing the two rings together, one directly over
the other, on the third phalanx.
A
fine example of a pearl-cluster ring is to be seen in the portrait of
Princess Hatzfeldt by the artist Antonio Pesaro (1684-1757). The ring,
worn on the little finger, has a large centre-pearl surrounded by five
smaller ones, the whole constituting a rather inconveniently large
jewel, although unquestionably a very beautiful one. It appears to be
the only ring worn by the fair princess when posing for her portrait.
Finger
rings were sometimes worn suspended from the neck, usually strung on a
chain. This custom is testified to by several old portraits, among them
by one of the Elector John Constane of Saxony, in the Collection of
Prince George of Saxony, Dresden, and also in several of Lucas
Cranach's portraits. In one of the latter, depicting an elderly and
hard-featured Dutch lady, eight rings are to be seen strung on a chain
or band below the collar. As the sitter's hands are adorned with five
rings, her object may rather have been to display all her choicest
rings, than to wear them as amulets, although
