David and Daniela visit Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens at the National Portrait Gallery – the Astrology of Finger Rings in Royal Paintings
“Having been a practicing astrologer for over 25 years I had some clues to offer, and I can share these with you here.”
These are the words of David Bennett in Understanding-Jewellery.com
Bennett and Daniela Mascetti team up in a look at some very interesting paintings – the wives of Henry VIII.
“In the ancient world the custom of wearing a number of rings at once is of quite an early date. Both Plato and Aristophanes mentioned the wearing of rings as a frequent custom. While Seneca spoke thus: ‘we adorn our fingers with rings and a jewel is displayed on every joint’.
“In astrology the heavens are divided up into twelve ‘mansions’ or houses. The human hand with its four fingers, each with three phalanges, offers therefore the opportunity to attribute correspondences between these twelve digital elements and the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve mansions.”
Welcome to David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti’s definitive online jewellery platform. The result of more than 40 years in their work as Worldwide Chairman and European Chairman respectively of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division.
Tap here to read Understanding Jewellery’s review of the rings of Henry VIII’s Wives.
