The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Thumb Ring

Thumb Ring

1800s–1900s
(1644-1911) or Republican period (1912-49)
Diameter: 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in.); Overall: 2.6 cm (1 in.)
Location: not on view

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.
  • {{cite web|title=Thumb Ring|url=false|author=|year=1800s–1900s|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1947.547