In ancient times rings of this type were called she. They were worn on the right thumb to protect it from the bow string when the archer discharged the arrow. For laymen, archer’s rings were made of hide although very few examples have survived to the present day. Archer’s rings made of jade, worn by military commanders, are extremely rare. The present set of imperial archer’s rings comprises of seven exquisitely crafted rings. The set is a typical example of an imperial article used in the palace during the Qianlong period. The round lacquer box that holds the rings is made of two parts comrpises a lid and a container, carved with the design of three fish amongst flower scroll. The carving is deep and natural. The inside of the box is incised with Qianlong’s poem titled 'Song of the Jade Archer’s Rings’.
Discover this incredible set of seven jade imperial archer’s rings and more from TRANSCENDENT FORM Classical Chinese Art from the Yin Xue Tang Collection: Part 1 and join us live on 8 April 2023.
