"Hortus Conclusus" means a garden, flowerbed, or vineyard. The bezel of this ring is designed as a quatrefoil, whose crisp gilded partition contours resemble the plan of a medieval walled garden that shelters its bloom from the outside world. The imagery of the enclosed garden (Le Verger de Déduit — the Garden of Pleasures) on this ring refers to a monument of French medieval poetry — The Romance of the Rose.
For this garden, I tried to select enamels so that the palette would be colorful and vibrant: the classic colors for Limoges enamels are used — blue, flaming red, green, and white. In some sectors, the enamels are fused into heterogeneous transitions with the addition of an amethyst tone.
A relief braided knot — a medieval apotropaic symbol — is concealed on the reverse side of the bezel. Silver (960), gilding, champlevé hot enamel. Size: 17 mm (US 6.5)