MUGHAL INDIA, LATE 17TH OR 18TH CENTURY

Archer’s rings, to be worn on the thumb, have a long history among warriors who use the “Mongolian release” method in archery, in which the bowstring is drawn with the thumb (Salam Kaoukji, Precious Indian Weapons and other Princely Accoutrements, London/New York: Thames & Hudson, 2017, p.361). Through the Mongol and Timurid conquests, this method was introduced into India, and by the reign of Akbar (r.1556-1605), archer’s rings had been elevated to an art form and were worn at court, dangling from strings attached to courtiers’ belts. The present archer’s ring is clearly one of these courtly examples - through the uneven surface introduced by the gemstones, it sacrifices usability as an archer’s ring for visual appeal and sheer luxury. A closely comparable ring is in the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait (LNS 40 HS, Kaoukji , op.cit., p.417).