15th century. Lithuania, Vilnius. Gold, casting, repoussage, pearl
There are few exhibits that are as wrapped in legends and hypotheses as this one – a Gothic ring set with a pearl found in the Vilnius Archcathedral’s Gothic crypt in 1969, often referred to as Barbara Radziwiłł’s ring in museum collections. This romantic title must have come about due to its location – the ring was found near the kings’ crypt where the Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania had been buried, and due to its splendid pearl – one of Barbara Radziwiłł’s favourite personal adornments. However, it is likely that it could not have belonged to this historical figure on account of the period of its production, and its dimensions – it is too large for a woman’s fingers. Historian Edvardas Gudavičius mentioned that it is a 15th-century golden ring of the Vilnius bishops (known as St Stanislaus’ ring). Another historian, Mindaugas Paknys, said that it “could have belonged to any one of 30–40 people buried in the Cathedral’s cellars in the 15th century”.
Historian and archaeologist Dr Eugenijus Svetikas, who has studied the ring more than anyone else, raised the sensational hypothesis that the ring belonged to Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. Among his many arguments was that the ring was found in a special place inside Vilnius Cathedral – in its very centre, where Vytautas’ Altar of the Holy Cross stood until the middle of the 17th century, also, the chronological boundaries of the ring’s time of production correlate with Vytautas’ reign.
The ring’s symbolic details are very significant: the setting on the ring is made of heraldic lilies, which symbolise the ruler’s authority. The author reached the conclusion that this ring was intended for a very important figure in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, someone who held one of the highest offices in the state.
Svetikas tried to discount the fact that a natural pearl adorns the head of the ring. According to the author, it is actually enamel imitating pearl – a similar golden ring, meant for Vytautas’ investiture, just so happens to be mentioned in historical sources. Yet these provisions are not confirmed in the research conducted by the Lithuanian National Museum of Art restorer Rimvydas Derkintis, who revealed that the ring setting holds an actual pearl. Incidentally, the pearl went through some dangerous trials during the Soviet period – a Russian-speaking assayer who had arrived from Riga wanted to know the precise weight of the gold, and callously tried to remove the pearl from its setting, dropping the ring on the floor in the process.
Although various facts are in circulation, many historians doubt that the ring can be associated with Vytautas. However, no one else has proposed another serious hypothesis regarding the ring’s origins.