Arms and Armour Virtual Collection
  • Home
  • Galleries by Region
    • Africa
    • The Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Oceania
  • Tour by Object Type
    • Archery
    • Blowpipes and darts
    • Clubs
    • Daos, axes, and polearms
    • Firearms
    • Handfighting
    • Metal Armour
    • Non-metal Armour
    • Shields
    • Spears
    • Swords, knives, and daggers
    • Throwing blades and sticks
  • Tour by Theme
    • A Place in History
    • Defining Gender
    • Form and Function
    • Sacred Weapons
    • The Art of War
    • The Beautiful Warrior
    • Warrior Elites
  • PRM Homepage
Home Home » Asia » Jade thumbring (1884.15.115)
114 144 355 98 109 358 104 80 97 66 64 74 102 96 107 348 99 105 82 90 86 116 141 135 143 68 146 332 62 76 83 354 139 77 103 137 142 147 140
Jade thumbring (1884.15.115)
Previous Previous
Image 39 of 99  
View full size
Next Next
Image 41 of 99  
117 94 125 69 70 92 71 67 78 145 136 128 111 131 343 75 110 106 89 132 88 108 134 118 87 322 119 100 126 95 122 133 79 382 113 127 85 91 72 130 129 121 65 84 228 229 73 314 315 124 81 120 101 123 138 115 93 385 112

Jade thumbring (1884.15.115) 

IndiaIndiaJade thumbring from India (or Pakistan), Asia. Part of the Pitt Rivers Museum Founding Collection. Given to the Museum in 1884.


Archers used thumbrings when employing the 'Mongolian' arrow release method. This means drawing the string with a hooked right thumb. The name derives from its known use among the mounted warriors of the Mongol Empire of the 13th to the 15th centuries.


The notable feature of this piece is the marked groove on the elongated section, which covers the archer's thumb-pad. This helps the archer to hold the bowstring in tension. Although the white jade may have come from China, the ring is of the Indo-Persian style and, having been collected in the Indian Subcontinent, is probably of the classic Mogul period (1556-1707).