Odalisque Silver Ring: Mondo Mondo

An Odalisque by Francisco Masriera y Manovens

W. S. Gilbert refers to the “Grace of an odalisque on a divan” in Colonel Calverley’s song “If You Want A Receipt For That Popular Mystery” from the Gilbert and Sullivan opera Patience.

In popular use, the word odalisque also may refer to a mistress, concubine or paramour of a wealthy man.

During the 19th century, odalisques became common fantasy figures in the artistic movement known as Orientalism, being featured in many erotic paintings from that era.

By the later 19th century, Turkish writers such as Melek Hanum used the word odalisque to refer to slave-concubines when writing in English:

If any lady possesses a pretty-looking slave, the fact soon gets known. The gentlemen who wish to buy an odalisque or a wife, make their offers. Many Turks, indeed, prefer to take a slave as a wife, as, in such case, there is no need to dread fathers, mothers, or brothers-in-law, and other undesirable relations

Odalisque sculptural ring from Mondo Mondo. Polished silver. Arc motif with attached loop. Small engraved logo at inside band.
• Sterling Silver
• Made in USA

Founded by Natasha Ghosn is 2012, Mondo Mondo is a Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand featuring handmade pieces that reflect Ghosn’s playful, surrealist view of the world.

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The Ring of O is a specially designed ring which has been worn as a distinctive mark among BDSM practitioners, mainly in continental Europe — and especially the German-speaking countries — since the 1990s. Its use is relatively widespread within this subculture. Its name derives from the name of the central female character in the classic BDSM novel Story of O (written by Pauline Réage), who was a sex slave and wore an analogous ring.

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