Ancient Egyptian / Nubian Archer’s Stone Thumb Ring 25th dynasty – Meroitic period, ca. 600 B.C.-300 A.D. Made of diorite stone. These stone rings were worn by archers to protect the thumb whilst stretching the bowstring. Especially good condition, absolutely intact. Very rare museum level item. The most similar archer’s thumb ring, just in worse condition, you can find in Louvre Museum, Inv. No. E14974. The other similar item is stored in National Museum Liverpool, inv. No. 49.47.822 It is also worth to mention a statuette of Kushite king from the British Museum, inv. No. SNM 24705, where the king wears the same archer’s thumb ring on his right hand. This statuette depicts the king as an archer and represents his military leadership. Egyptian texts as early as 2400 BC note Nubians in Egyptian armies. Representations of Nubian warriors appear in Egyptian tomb models, reliefs, and paintings in all periods of ancient Egyptian history. Nubia in ancient Egyptian was called “Land of the Bow” (is the meaning of Ta-Seti, an ancient Egyptian term used to denote Nubia for thousands of years in antiquity). 11th Dynasty model of Nubian archers in the Egyptian army, for example, was found in a tomb in Asyut (c. 2130–1991 BC). Height 2.9 cm, diameter 5 cm. Provenance: Belgian collection of M.K., 1970s. Certificate of authenticity enclosed. Shipping inside EU only.