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Lot
Number
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J000035 |
| Lot
Title |
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Archer's Ring |
| Date
of Origin |
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Qing Dynasty |
| Country
of Origin |
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China |
| Material
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Jade |
| Measurements |
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Length: 2.6 cm Width: 2.9 cm |
| Lot
Quantity |
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1 |
| Estimate |
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| Description:
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Description (guaranteed):
Bought this ancher's ring when I visited Shanghai. I was browsing around the Cheng Huang Temple (A city ruling deity) area and found this nice piece at a smooth stand. Very beatuiful color and definitely Qing or even Ming piece. Price was reasonable so I quickly paid for it. |
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| Condition
and Additional Specification: |
Condition: Some nature pitting to jade
A Short History of Archer's Ring (from Sotheby's Information):
In ancient times rings of this type were called sh'e (韘). They were worn on the right thumb to protect it from the bow string when the archer discharged the arrow. In the Han Dynasty, Xu Shen interpreted the word sh’e in his work Shuo Wen Iie Zi (說文解字) as follows: ‘When pulling the bow the string gets caught. Sh’e is used to protect the thumb from the string. It’s made of elephant bone and is worn on the right hand thumb.’ The Shijin (詩經) Wei Feng mentions that the Wei Lan boys wore sh’e. This is from the Shang and Zhou periods when young riders wore sh’e. Sh’e or archer’s rings were widely used at the time. For laymen, archer’s rings were made of hide although very few examples have survived to the present day. Archer’s rings made of jade, worn by military commanders, are extremely rare but some have been excavated from archaeological sites.
The earliest archaeological finding of an archer’s ring was in Fu Hao’s tomb in Henan province. This archer’s ring is of dark brown color with few darks spots on it. It looks like a cylinder and can be worn by an adult. The upper end of the front is longer than the back while the other end is even. The surface is incised with the motif of an animal mask, and under the eyes of the animal, there are two tiny holes with thin strings thread through. This ring was possibly used on daily basis. Two further rings were found in Guo Ji’s tomb, from the West Zhou period, in the Sanmen gorge on Henan province. The shape of these two rings is similar to that found in Fu Hao’s Tomb.
Later the function if archer’s rings changed from being a purely practical object. It also became a decorative showpiece. However, with time, archers played a less important role in the battle field changing the function of these rings. They became sought after for their decorative value among the Manchu aristocracy of the Qing dynasty.
The Manchu came into power by means of horse riding and archery. Therefore, rulers of the Qing dynasty deemed it extremely important to continue practicing the art of archery. The young men of the Eight Banners were obliged to practice archery in the ‘archer’s house’ of their respective Banners. Beginners used arches with ‘one draw strength’ (approximately 1000g drawing power), and gradually raising the strength to 20 and 30. When Drawing the bow, the archer had to wear a sh’e to protect his thumb. Every young man of the Eight Banners had a ring which gradually became a traditional item to wear. Meanwhile the name of sh’e was changed into ‘archer’s ring’ for ease comprehension.
Following the consolidation of the Qing dynasty, young men of the Eight Banners slowly neglected the practice, but the habit of wearing the archer’s ring remained, and it became a fashionable piece of decoration. Rings f this type were also worn by the Emperor, imperial family members and high ranking officials and rich merchants. They were made of hide, ox horn, camel bone, ivory, crystal, jade, porcelain and emerald.
Their value rose substantially. Li Baojia (李保嘉), of the late Qing period, in his work Guan Chang Xian Xing Ji (官場現形記) notes that a gentleman called Wen bought a jade archer’s ring for 900 ounces of silver. This was indeed a very high price that surprised everyone. |
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