A TIBETAN KHAMPA CORAL-SET MALE 'SADDLE' SILVER RING
Kham region, South Eastern territories, Tibet, 20th century

The top of the ring designed with a concave, upward-turned, saddle-like shape, with three flattened circular coral beads set into short straight silver bezels, further enhanced with granulation clusters flanking the central, larger bead.

2.1cm x 4.5cm x 2.2cm

Ring size 52 / 6

1.65cm diameter

17gr.

Often referred to as 'saddle' rings because of their typical upward-curved shape, male ornaments like the present example were most likely worn by the Khampa people, the original residents of Tibet's eastern territories. Historically, the Khampas have been revered as feared warriors in the Himalayas, renowned for their tall stature, sturdy build, and unparalleled horsemanship. Leading a semi-nomadic life, it was crucial for the Khampa people to wear their wealth literally 'up their sleeves' and on their fingers. Portability was a necessity and yet, many Khampa jewels would only be worn during special non-religious celebrations, as it is still the case today during the Nagchu Horse Racing Festival. Mostly made of silver, laterally of gold, and set with coral and turquoise beads, saddle rings like the current lot showcase the long-standing jewellery tradition of the nomadic tribes wandering through the Himalayas.

A similar coral-set saddle ring is published in Bérénice Geoffrey-Schneiter, Bijoux des Toits du Monde de la Chine au Caucase, 2012, p. 69.