The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 16, 2026

A thick, cylindrical jade thumb ring features a wide central opening and polished, rounded rims. The semitranslucent material is mottled with vibrant emerald-green splotches against a milky-white base, reminiscent of moss over ice. Darker green concentrations gather along the inner wall and outer left side. Subtle internal clouds and thin, pale veins lace through the glossy stone. Light glints off the curved edges, emphasizing its heavy, gem-like quality.

Thumb Ring

1800s–1900s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911) or Republican period (1912-49)
green and white jade
Diameter: 3.4 cm (1 5/16 in.); Overall: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Bequest of Cornelia Blakemore Warner 1947.549
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=16 April 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1947.549