AN ANTIQUE RUBY, EMERALD AND GOLD HAWKING RING
Designed as a bird, oval and circular cabochon rubies, cabochon emeralds, gold on a lac core, ring size 7 ¾, bird 2 ¾ ins., mid to late 18th century
Provenance
By repute, Tipu Sultan of Mysore
Exhibited
The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh 1999, pl. 28 Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p. 185, no. 141bis The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p. 208, no. 140 The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, p. 232, no. 144 de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 178, no. 87
It is believed that Tipu Sultan wore this ring when hawking. Hawking was a common sport associated with kingship in India, especially during the British Raj.