Zita Engel (Hungary)

ZITA ENGEL

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Biography:

Goldsmith graduated in Szimultán Art School, Budapest, Hungary, Europe

Collection Concept: House

“House” ring XXI.

There is hardly anything known about the exact usage of a long forgotten matrimonial ring type: the Jewish “house” wedding rings. These rings featuring a miniature house synagogue or palace motif on the top were used under the ceremony of wedding as a common piece of the local Jewish community or a family. I decided to “resuscitate” this stunning practice even only for forming one single ring.

Keeping the “house” form for the ring-tops I decided to choose local reference buildings, three synagogues of Budapest: the Dohány Street Synagogue, the Frankel Leo Street Synagogue and the Medieval Synagogue of the Castle Quarter.

The changeable tops have their own red enamelled cupolas; the colour refers to the Bimah, a kind of centre of a synagogue often covered with red textile. They guard the symbol of the marriage placed under them. This symbol refers to the free ancient traditional ways of how to “conclude” a marriage: signing a Ketubah (a piece of parchment with the worlds of Mazel Tov, Congratulations), consummation of the relationship (a piece of square copper plate refers to a pillow, to the bed) and giving “money” a little value (a little silver pearl). The building tops have a common massive ring ground polished shiny in contrast with the dark, rustic ring old “walls”. It is created in a way that the bride of the XXI. century can place her own wedding ring and can take it home after the ceremony with the sign of the synagogue.

The ring sculpture keeps the formal rules of how to make a traditional Jewish wedding ring: there are no gemstones on it and all engravings and carvings are banned, but filigree (the marriage symbol) and enamel (cupolas) are included just like in the case of their medieval pairs.

This six-part ring sculpture was created in the year of 2020 during COVID time and was accepted as a final diploma piece in Szimultán Art School (Budapest) in the class of Orsolya Kecskés goldsmith artist and Évi Juhász sculpture artist.

Materials I used: bronze, copper, silver, parchment, oak gall ink, enamel and platina.

Ring, bronze, silver

Ring, bronze, silver

Ring, bronze, silver

Ring, bronze, silver