Chinese linking rings

Chinese stage magician Ching Ling Foo (1854–1922) was one of the early performers of the linking rings in the form known today.

[1] A painting by Giacomo Mantegazza in 1876 showed a harem girl holding a set of rings above her head.

Speculation about the rings' origin has been traced to Turkey, Egypt and the Middle East and as long ago as the 1st century.

[1] In the May 2016 issue of Genii (magazine),[3] world-famous mentalist and respected magic historian Max Maven penned a seminal article about a rare Japanese book called Hokasen that featured a routine called “The Iron Rings”.

Recent magicians who are known for their performances with the linking rings include Dai Vernon,[4] Richard Ross,[5] Jack Miller, Michael Skinner, Ian Ray - "The Genie Ali Pali", Jeff McBride, Paul W Draper, Shoot Ogawa, Fu Manchu, Tina Lenert,[6] Fábio De'Rose, Jim Cellini, Chris Capeheart,[7] Tom Frank, Galina,[8] Whit Haydn, Paul Daniels, and Jay Marshall.