Poise ​‘n Ivy League Class Ring

Barbara Walter, Poise 'n Ivy League Class Ring, 1995, cast, roll-printed, and fabricated sterling silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sylvia and Eric Elsesser, 2002.72.5
Copied Barbara Walter, Poise 'n Ivy League Class Ring, 1995, cast, roll-printed, and fabricated sterling silver, 2 3⁄8 x 1 x 1 1⁄8 in. (6.0 x 2.5 x 2.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sylvia and Eric Elsesser, 2002.72.5

Artwork Details

Title
Poise ​‘n Ivy League Class Ring
Artist
Date
1995
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2 3⁄8 x 1 x 1 1⁄8 in. (6.0 x 2.5 x 2.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Sylvia and Eric Elsesser
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast, roll-printed, and fabricated sterling silver
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure male — bust
  • Object — written matter
  • Architecture Exterior — education — university
Object Number
2002.72.5
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2002.72.5

Artwork Description

Poise 'n Ivy League Class Ring plays on the tradition of the high school or college ring. The ring depicts a miniature octagonal building with a dome, which opens to reveal a gentleman dressed in business attire and an overcoat. Like the traditional class ring, this piece has numbers on each side of the central element, but the Roman numerals make us think of the Ivy League colleges associated with the upper class. By calling our attention to the appearance and manners of the rich, Barbara Walter invites us to question the changeable meanings of the word "class."