£250 - £500
AN UNUSUAL PAIR OF MUGHAL ARCHER'S THUMB RINGS INDIA, LATE 18TH / EARLY 19TH CENTURY Steel with gold coloured detailing, modern stand 3.5cm high Provenance: Ex John Harwood, India, 2005 Ex Private collection The bow ring worn by archers on the thumb had a primarily functional use, but they were often very decorative as well, as hunting game with a bow and arrow was often a Royal sport. The advantage of the Eastern archer's thumb ring over that of the European practice of using the leather covered tips of three fingers is that it improves the handling of the bow and arrow and increases the range and steadies the flight of the arrow, very similar to the actions achieved by using a spear thrower.
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