Footnotes

• The Ionian Islands were put under British protection at the Treaty of Paris in 1815, and had a troubled history until they rejoined Greece in 1862 on the recommendation of Gladstone. Ionian jewellery was highly patriotic, but not only produced in the islands. The jewellery bore symbols representing the seven islands: the head of Ulysses for Ithaca, a harp for Lefkada, Cephalus, a dart and KEO for Cephalonia, arms and emblems for Corfu, a tripod for Zakynthos, Venus emerging from her shell for Kythira and a trident sacred to Neptune for Paxos.
  
  During the British protectorate much of this jewellery bore the Lion and Crown of England, so given the absence on this ring it is possible that it pre-dates the 1815 treaty.
  
  A similar example is in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Fortnum Collection WA1899.CDEF.F571).

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Category: Jewellery

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