Thumb Ring
Unknown Artist
1800s–1900s
Medium
white jade
Dimensions
h. 3 cm · diam. 3.4 cm
Classification
Jewelry
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Cornelia Blakemore Warner
Accession Number
1947.544
About this artwork
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.