Message #48462

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

   I have a couple of friends, members of the ICSBS from one of the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC (at one time in Silver Spring; now in North Bethesda), who collect archer's rings in addition to snuff bottles.  And for exactly the reason Adrian mentioned - that they come in almost as many materials as snuff bottles.

   Ted, the husband, started when he saw a small group of 4 or 5 sold as one lot, and the lot was much cheaper than a snuff bottle!  Probably since there is no "International Chinese Archers' Rings Society"! 

 
   For a long time, they were tens of US dollars each, when equivalent snuff bottles were already hundreds and even thousands, of US dollars each.

  And one of his bottles is a single white nephrite jade archer's ring, with very similar metal mounts, forming the body of a snuff bottle.  It was not a big stretch from that to seeing a pair of archer's rings in these 2 very interesting  examples.

  A real pity about the crack in the bottom ring of your bottle, Adrian. I'd not noticed it before (I was not really looking, I shamefully admit. Me bad. ).

Best,
Joey