- Object Name:
- Marriage Ring
- Artist/Maker:
- Mila Tanya Griebel
- Bio:
- British, b. 1963
- Title:
- Marriage, I would rather have a cup of tea!
- Place Made:
- London, England
- Date:
- c. 2000
- Medium:
- Silver: hand-worked and engraved with cast elements
- Dimensions:
- 1 9/16 × 1 1/4 × 9/16 in. (4 × 3.2 × 1.4 cm)
- Credit Line:
- Purchase: Contemporary Judaica Acquisitions Committee Fund and Hyman and Miriam Silver Fund for Contemporary Judaica
- Accession Number:
- 2008-153
Not On View
"Marriage, I would rather have a cup of tea!" is based on a corruption of Boy George's remark, "Sex, I'd rather have a cup of tea." It is a statement on the agunot, or chained women, who are trapped by the laws designed to protect them. The idea is to subvert the traditional marriage ring, showing, on the outside, glossy and engraved perfection and, on the inside, a more scarred and imperfect interior. The cup of tea in question sits on the family table, stating that there is always a choice. The alternative of a life without marriage is viable and free.
Information may change as a result of ongoing research.