Poise ‘n Ivy League Class Ring

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: Barbara Walter
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: silver
Mediums Description: cast, roll-printed, and fabricated sterling silver
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: 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."