MEROITIC OR LATE EGYPTIAN OR STONE ARCHER'S THUMB RING Late Period, ca. 600 - 300 BC A rare Meroitic or late Egyptian stone thumb ring with a central vertical hole for the thumb to be inserted. These were made to protect the pulp of the thumb when releasing the bow-string. The stone is granodiorite-tonalite (sources are known in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and south of Aswan). For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number 26.4.127. Size: 31mm x 48mm; Weight: 92.7g Provenance: Property of a European collector; Ex. Belgian collection of M.K, 1970s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.