Beads From a Court Necklace

Two lapis beads, 25mm each, hand carved and reticulated. Each bead has been pierced at least 40 times and the beads appear to have been hollowed out on the inside. 72 wooden beads, hand carved and reticulated.

[click on images to enlarge photos by: RidgewoodEntrust]

The wooden beads appear to be identical to the beads in the Mandarin Court necklace pictured in Margaret Duda's book Four Centuries of Silver, a great book for anyone interested in Chinese ornaments.



The lapis beads still take my breath away....

Eight Immortals in Enamel and Silver

The eight figures on this bracelet are known in Chinese mythology as the Eight Immortals or Baxian. Popular figures, the Immortals are not gods. They are humans who, after many lifetimes of spiritual practice, meditation and sacrifice transcended to an immortal form. They live on a magical mountain where there it is forever summer and pain does not exist. There the rice bowls are never empty, and magical fruits heal and raise the dead...

[click on images to enlarge     photos by: RidgewoodEntrust]

(  7" Long 17.5cm 1 3/8 wide 3.4cm  )

The legends of the Immortals originally emerged from Taoist practice in the Tang and Song Dynasty. By the 18th and 19thc they had become part of a broader folk culture. The Baxian appear in all types of Chinese art ...from sculpture to silver. Used as symbols of longevity and immortality they frequently decorate children's clothing and hats. Since they each have special powers and fully evolved personalities, they may appear singly or in various combinations. From left to right on the bracelet:


Han Xiangzi: playing his flute, easily recognizable as inspiration to musicians he is known also as a philosoper, his flute has the power to give life.


Li Tieguai: the earliest and first of the group to attain immortality, he carries an iron crutch and his other symbol, the gourd, is on his shoulder. He offers comfort to the sick and support to their caretakers.

Lan Caihe: one of the youngest, a florist, he reminds people that life is fleeting.

He Xiangu: the only woman, she always carrys the lotus blossom which symbolizes purity and marital bliss.



Lu Dongbin: the scholar, also has power to heal, the sword over his head can drive out disease and evil.

Zhang Guolao: one of the elders of the group, he is known as a teacher and powerful alchemist, he carries a musical instrument,
made of a bamboo with two iron rods with hooks

Zhongi Quan: the leader of the group, and former soldier, he is easy to recognize with his large bare belly, he has the power to
revive the dead

Cao Guojiu: the youngest of the group, guardian of actors, once a member of a royal family, wears court robes and carries the
castanets or a pair of jade court tablets, which have the power to purify.

This bracelet is interesting for me for several reasons, the form, (repousse with enamel) is uncommon, and the the subject matter (the Immortals) is uncommon in bracelets. That all leads me to conclude that this was a custom order....and not for made for export.

The images and the symbols on the bracelet may be very exotic to western eyes...but when you understand the story behind the images...all humans wish for the same things...health, success for their children, long life, a happy marriage.

Carved White Jade and Silver Set-Immortals

When I look at this set I hear Sam Spade in my head, "this is the stuff that dreams are made of"...who wore this set and for what occasion? I will never know...but my imagination always takes hold of me when I look at it. Nephrite jade...a creamy white, (my photographer tells me that it changes color with the slightest shift of light), some translucence, 2-3mm thick. There are...18 pierced and carved figures of the immortals...each set in sterling custom cut to fit each stone. Chinese hallmarks. Probably 19thc but I believe that the earrings were originally part of the necklace so there has been some alteration.

[click on images to enlarge     photos by: RidgewoodEntrust]

(  Bracelet 7 1/2" Long 19cm, Necklace 16 1/2" 44cm, Figures 1 3/8' x 6/8" 3.7cm x 2.3cm  )

The carvings are lovely...each immortal stands on clouds...which symbolize good fortune and happiness....and perhaps in this case the elevated status of the group...the central figure in the neckpiece is He Xiangu...this time wearing a crown and seated on her lotus blossom. Some of the other figures are recognizable from the enamel bracelet of the eight immortals...Lan Caihe with a lovely basket of flowers, Zhongli Guan with his fat belly, and Han Xiangzi with his flute. The faces are quite detailed and expressive...all seem to be smiling. I see this as a gift for a very special celebration...a wedding, an anniversary.

Several years ago this is the set that pushed me over the edge...from someone interested in Chinese ornament...to a serious collector...saw it... had to have it...don't regret it.


A brief word about jade...in China jade has been called "the stone of heaven" ...the stone and the culture are interwoven in ways that I am only beginning to understand. There really is no comparison in the West. But I hear a lot of confusion from friends about the word jade...with good reason...


For thousands of years in China the word jade meant the mineral now called nephrite or nephrite jade, which appears in several colors including green. Then in the 18thc another "jade" was discovered, found in Burma. It is actually the mineral jadeite and the terms jadeite and Burma jade are now used to describe it. The two have many similarities, both come in many colors...but jadeite has a more brilliant luster when polished... while nephrite, like the pieces in this set, can have a soft creamy quality. There are collectors for both. I am not an expert on jade...I make judgments based on the quality and rarity of the workmanship.