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Traditionally, Chinese Silver ornaments such as this Qilin were worn simply with a heavy silver chain... the beads on this one were probably added some time during the 20th century to make the necklace more appealing to the western market.
At the time I purchased this, the old bead string was rotting and needed to
be replaced. The beads themselves were so unusual and uncommon; translucent
jade, melon carved silver, celadon carved with the Shou symbol, I made the
decision to keep them together.
The Qilin pendants offered artisans who worked in silver an opportunity to
express their creativity...you could probably spend a lifetime just collecting
Qilins and never find two alike.
c. 19th century, Qilin with figure carrying a fan, all silver, front repoussé
chased detail, flat back. 19th century silver, jade and turquoise beads. All
parts tested SILVER. Qilin: 9.5cm wide, 8.5cm height. Tassels with bells: 5cm
length. Neck chain: 70cm Total (Beads 36cm) length.