Thimble Ring

An example of a thimble ring. An example of a thimble ring.

A thimble ring (or ring thimble) is a very early form of thimble, consisting of a broad ring of metal or a comparable, hard material, with small, dot-shaped indentations. It is usually worn in the middle (middle phalange region) of a finger or thumb. Thimble rings are used to push a needle (usually horizontally) while sewing. It does not have a crown or top.

This type of thimble is sometimes said to have originated in China and moved westwards, possibly in the mid-first millennium AD. It is currently being used, for example, in Cairo (Egypt) for the production of appliqués (see Street of the Tentmakers). The thimble ring is very similar to the so-called tailor’s thimble. The main difference is the size of the ring; a tailor’s thimble is much broader than a thimble ring.

Source: BEAUDRY, Mary Carolyn (2006). Findings: The Material Culture of Needlework and Sewing, New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 91.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 8th July 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 14 May 2017 19:15
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