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Details / Information for Thumb Ring

Thumb Ring

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign

(1736–95)
Medium
spinach green jade
Measurements
Diameter: 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in.); Overall: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. John Lyon Collyer in memory of her mother, Mrs. G. M. G. Forman 1970.140
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Jade rings were worn by men on the thumb of the right hand to assist with holding and pulling the string of the archer’s bow. However, thumb rings were also fashionable accessories for civil officials in the late Qing dynasty.
A thick, cylindrical thumb ring carved from spinach green jade features a polished, mottled surface of forest and mossy green. Tiny black specks and cloudy white inclusions are peppered throughout the dense stone. The band has smooth, rounded edges and a wide circular opening, tilting slightly to reveal a hollow interior. A lustrous waxy texture catches light along the curved rim, highlighting natural variations within the semitranslucent jade.

Thumb Ring

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)

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