Get a closer look at David Ortiz’s World Series rings
Big Papi's rings will be on display at the MFA until Sept. 4.
This summer, Museum of Fine Arts visitors will have the chance to get up-close-and-personal with retired Red Sox player David Ortiz’s World Series rings.
At the museum’s new installation, “David Ortiz: King of the Diamond,” which will be open from June 17 through Sept. 4, Ortiz’s 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series rings, and eventually his 2013 World Series most valuable player ring, will be on display in a glass case.
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The exhibit in the Museum’s Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art will also include a large photo of Ortiz from his days on the field and a donation box for visitors to contribute to the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. The donation box will be available until June 25.
Museum workers came up with the idea for the installment a year ago, said Emily Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan curator of jewelry at the MFA, who oversees some 20,000 pieces of jewelry spanning 6,000 years. The museum reached out to Ortiz to see if he’d be willing to lend his rings.
“Given Ortiz’s tremendous career with the Red Sox and his many fans and his relationship with the city, it seemed like the perfect kind of fit,” Stoehrer said.
The museum was delighted when Ortiz agreed, she said.
“My relationship with the City of Boston is close to my heart, and I’m happy to share my rings with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to give all Red Sox fans and Museum visitors a chance to view them up close,” Ortiz said in a statement. “I always want to remind the city to swing for the fences and never give up.”
This photo of David Ortiz and his rings was taken on April 4, 2014.
All four of the gold rings, created by Minneapolis-designer Jostens Inc., feature diamonds, and some have sapphires and rubies, Stoehrer said.
“Each ring is individually designed to celebrate that season,” Stoehrer said. “What I was really kind of fascinated by, when I actually got to look at them in person, is they are actually all marked on the inside.”
For example, the 2013 ring pays homage to how the Red Sox players grew beards as a show of solidarity. The inside of the ring has an etching of the lower part of a bearded face, along with the words, “Bearded brothers,” Stoehrer said.
“They are really amazing works of art,” she said. “They are really thoughtfully designed, and they are incredibly symbolic.”
The rings will be displayed on a mirror so visitors can clearly see the engravings.
The 2013 World Series most valuable player ring will not be available for the initial installation, said Stoehrer, but the museum hopes to add it before the June 23 ceremony at Fenway Park celebrating the retirement of Ortiz’s No. 34.
Admission to the museum is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and students age 18 and older, and free for kids 17 and under. It includes entry to all galleries and special exhibitions, including the upcoming Ortiz installation, as well as a return trip within 10 days.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston; mfa.org
