White Jade Interlocking Rings with Imperial Inscription by Qianlong

The ring is cleverly divided in the middle so that, when separated, it forms two interlinked hoops. The interior is engraved with the Qianlong Emperor’s poem ‘Ode to the Opening and Closing Jade Rings’:

Joined, seamless as the robe of Heaven;
parted yet linked as cicada wings. 
Turning back and forth without end,
their form and colour born of destiny.
At first glance they seem but the work of jade artisans,
yet recall the Zen of the ancient sages.
Let worldly dust veil the warmth of words –
may no desire ensnare the heart.

This type of ring, with animal masks in relief, imitates Liangzhu culture jade rings. Such examples have been unearthed since the Song dynasty and were reproduced through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. The Yuan scholar Zhu Derun referred to this form as the Chiyou ring in his Illustrated Record of Ancient Jades.