where to place string on Warring States ring
I was wondering, what's the best place to place the string if you're string a bow with a Chinese Warring States-era (475--221 BC) ring? Here is a link to examples of such rings. http://storage.canalblog.com/98/86/119589/34136048.jpg
Specifically, should I put it on the flat part surrounding the opening as in [A], or should I put it on the bottom part of the lip/slope as in ? (I took the illustration from Bede's article on early Chinese rings: http://www.atarn.org/chinese/thumbrings ... _rings.htm )
Specifically, should I put it on the flat part surrounding the opening as in [A], or should I put it on the bottom part of the lip/slope as in ? (I took the illustration from Bede's article on early Chinese rings: http://www.atarn.org/chinese/thumbrings ... _rings.htm )
Justin,
The rings of this type have variations in the shape of the base of the lip and I am not sure if they were all used the same way.
I believe in rings where the spur is functional that the string was held near the base of the curved part of the lip while that surface of the ring was held perpendicular to the axis of the arrow. This allows the spur to touch the nock on one side of the arrow while the side of the proximal section of the index finger touches it on the other. I think in this way the spur and the index finger correctly position the string on the ring. The problem with this theory is that there are enough variations of the ring style to suggest other ways of using them.
I have only two functional copes of these rings and I did get to try on several original rings. Unfortunately my own ring was too small to wear, but a friend made a scaled up copy in silver. On that ring, the flat base of the lip was the most likely position for the string. With the base perpendicular to the axis of the arrow, the spur was in contact with the nock and the inside of the lip was firmly pressed against the pad of the thumb.
In both cases, the spur acted to indicate if you were turning the ring too far around the string. If this happens, the ring hooks around the string and the release is slower and also the string is deflected more to the right.
It is also possible to shoot an arrow on the left of the bow and use the spur to push the arrow against the grip. This could be used to increase the angle an arrow could be shot to the rear right when twisting around to shoot behind you. I have not tested this on horse back or in a chariot so I don't know if the motion of the horse or vehicle would shake the arrow off the bow grip.
These descriptions refer to a right handed archer.
The rings of this type have variations in the shape of the base of the lip and I am not sure if they were all used the same way.
I believe in rings where the spur is functional that the string was held near the base of the curved part of the lip while that surface of the ring was held perpendicular to the axis of the arrow. This allows the spur to touch the nock on one side of the arrow while the side of the proximal section of the index finger touches it on the other. I think in this way the spur and the index finger correctly position the string on the ring. The problem with this theory is that there are enough variations of the ring style to suggest other ways of using them.
I have only two functional copes of these rings and I did get to try on several original rings. Unfortunately my own ring was too small to wear, but a friend made a scaled up copy in silver. On that ring, the flat base of the lip was the most likely position for the string. With the base perpendicular to the axis of the arrow, the spur was in contact with the nock and the inside of the lip was firmly pressed against the pad of the thumb.
In both cases, the spur acted to indicate if you were turning the ring too far around the string. If this happens, the ring hooks around the string and the release is slower and also the string is deflected more to the right.
It is also possible to shoot an arrow on the left of the bow and use the spur to push the arrow against the grip. This could be used to increase the angle an arrow could be shot to the rear right when twisting around to shoot behind you. I have not tested this on horse back or in a chariot so I don't know if the motion of the horse or vehicle would shake the arrow off the bow grip.
These descriptions refer to a right handed archer.
I was browsing through the Freer online gallery and got to see some of the Warring States ring variations you described.
A ring where the string is placed outside the opening in a string groove: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.507
A ring where the string was likely placed on the flat protrusion just outside the opening: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.506
A flat ring: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.574 (The description in http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... r=F1939.24 suggests flattened rings were used as pendants, but I believe the flat ring looks very practical.)
And just for kicks, a ring that would be practical except for the funky protrusions: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... r=F1939.26
You can find these images if you do an Advanced Search under the Chinese Art category for "archer" on the Freer-Sackler site.
A ring where the string is placed outside the opening in a string groove: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.507
A ring where the string was likely placed on the flat protrusion just outside the opening: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.506
A flat ring: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... =S1987.574 (The description in http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... r=F1939.24 suggests flattened rings were used as pendants, but I believe the flat ring looks very practical.)
And just for kicks, a ring that would be practical except for the funky protrusions: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/sing ... r=F1939.26
You can find these images if you do an Advanced Search under the Chinese Art category for "archer" on the Freer-Sackler site.
Justin,
That last ring, if it conforms to type, would be too flat to use even without the Baroque curl on the lip.
The others demonstrate the variability in these rings and also how they seem to be designed to be used in a specific way. I have one similar to the first ring, described as Eastern Zhou, and a friend mad me a reproduction in my size to shoot with. As a ring it was easiest to use with a partially bent thumb and it had a sharp release. The string sat just in front of the flat area at the base of the ring. If the string was positioned on the base of the lip, the release was a bit slower and I felt the string vibrate like it was plucked.
That is a very good collection of rings. When I wrote my article, these were not available on the web, but they conform to the basic forms I had discovered.
That last ring, if it conforms to type, would be too flat to use even without the Baroque curl on the lip.
The others demonstrate the variability in these rings and also how they seem to be designed to be used in a specific way. I have one similar to the first ring, described as Eastern Zhou, and a friend mad me a reproduction in my size to shoot with. As a ring it was easiest to use with a partially bent thumb and it had a sharp release. The string sat just in front of the flat area at the base of the ring. If the string was positioned on the base of the lip, the release was a bit slower and I felt the string vibrate like it was plucked.
That is a very good collection of rings. When I wrote my article, these were not available on the web, but they conform to the basic forms I had discovered.
Justin, the Freer descriptions are correct: archers' rings were symbolic of 'protection of the spirit', and were therefore worn as neck pedants by the living and the dead will into the Han Dynasty. Over time, the burial goods were carved with more and more symbolic spikes and protrusions.
I have a collection of actual thum brings covering Spring and Autumn to Han. With one (very degrades) exception, all have a small platform in front of the thumb pad, which must have been an important design element. I suggest that it must have been where the string was held.
I have a collection of actual thum brings covering Spring and Autumn to Han. With one (very degrades) exception, all have a small platform in front of the thumb pad, which must have been an important design element. I suggest that it must have been where the string was held.
In that case, the principle behind the "platform" WS ring seems similar to the way you use the platform Turkish ring --- specifically, the silver ring that Murat Ozveri made for Adam Karpowicz, http://atarn.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=6532#6532 , where the string touches the platform, but never the rest of the lip during release.Stephen Selby wrote:
I have a collection of actual thum brings covering Spring and Autumn to Han. With one (very degrades) exception, all have a small platform in front of the thumb pad, which must have been an important design element. I suggest that it must have been where the string was held.
Well, at a guess, 'yes'. When you look at a whole bunch of these rings together, you can see that there's a great deal of uniformity in the design; but it's really hard to tell what elements of the design have physical function.
It strikes me as unusual that the "platform" is not a good shape to hold and release the string. Its irregular shape with a projecting tab would be less suitable to have the string sliding over than the smoother part of the lip. Those rings with a groove or hollow (like the second one by Murat in Adam's photograph) leave in no doubt how they were used.
However, the ones with a two-stage curve like many Turkish rings are more problematic. The major problem in English was caused by Klopsteg's translation of Hein, where he mistakenly translated "kash" as the projecting part of the "kulak" over the dimagh or lip of the ring. In fact, Hein used kash to describe the brow of the lip of the ring. To me, that would indicate the ledge at the base of the lip. Under that definition, Hein was indicating that Kani was saying that the archer should not let the string slide back to the kash while drawing. this technique works with ring were the second stage of the curve is straight in one axis such as a Turkish ring of this type. It is problematic with the Chinese rings, not only because of the thousands of years difference in time, but also because of the complex topography of the lip after the ledge ends. Many of Stephen's rings share that complex shape as does mine. I think that part of the design of these shapes was to create a junction of these curves which helped locate the string at one point, perhaps at the round projection of the ledge. It is important to remember that not all rings from China at this period had complex curves in the lip. Some had smooth curves like later rings, even though they still had the ledge.
I still think that these rings represent several complex traditions of shooting rather than being random variations in form. Unfortunately, while we might be able to work out the most efficient way to shoot with one, there is no way to prove that that was used in the times when the ring was created.
However, the ones with a two-stage curve like many Turkish rings are more problematic. The major problem in English was caused by Klopsteg's translation of Hein, where he mistakenly translated "kash" as the projecting part of the "kulak" over the dimagh or lip of the ring. In fact, Hein used kash to describe the brow of the lip of the ring. To me, that would indicate the ledge at the base of the lip. Under that definition, Hein was indicating that Kani was saying that the archer should not let the string slide back to the kash while drawing. this technique works with ring were the second stage of the curve is straight in one axis such as a Turkish ring of this type. It is problematic with the Chinese rings, not only because of the thousands of years difference in time, but also because of the complex topography of the lip after the ledge ends. Many of Stephen's rings share that complex shape as does mine. I think that part of the design of these shapes was to create a junction of these curves which helped locate the string at one point, perhaps at the round projection of the ledge. It is important to remember that not all rings from China at this period had complex curves in the lip. Some had smooth curves like later rings, even though they still had the ledge.
I still think that these rings represent several complex traditions of shooting rather than being random variations in form. Unfortunately, while we might be able to work out the most efficient way to shoot with one, there is no way to prove that that was used in the times when the ring was created.
I agree with Stephen that the "platform" supports the string. It seems to me, if it is indeed the case, the direction of the string pressure (or the pull of the bowstring) would be perpendicular to the platform to be most effective and help to release the string cleanly. Than the thumb would flex just enough to make that happen, probably not much, as it is the case with the Turkish (or Murat's ring he made as Justing said). It follows the index finger should be placed closer to the tip of the thumb, away from the base of the nail. This is actually the way I learned to shoot. In this method, the rest of the "lip" of the ring becomes almost irrelevant in protecting the thumb, since the string would not touch it, or maybe only slightly graze it during the release.
Note the platform extends beyond the "kash" (as per Bede's description) and indeed , the string would rest just forward of it, but still on the projecting flat of the platform. I would not worry about the complexity of the shape to cause any damage to the sting.
Adam
Note the platform extends beyond the "kash" (as per Bede's description) and indeed , the string would rest just forward of it, but still on the projecting flat of the platform. I would not worry about the complexity of the shape to cause any damage to the sting.
Adam