East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful necklace strung with dozens of quartz beads polished into spherical and gourd shapes. Gourds, known as Wu Lou, are part of the Feng Shui belief and represent abundance, health, longevity, and wealth. While most are a semi-transparent and colorless- 2 are a pale violet amethyst - the purple variety of quartz. The beads are strung in modern times as a wearable necklace with a modern lobster clasp as a truly unique piece of jewelry! Chinese emperors and courtesans adorned themselves in lavish jewelry made from stones and other precious materials that adhered to a strict dress code laid out by the emperor for those at court and high-ranking officials. The rarity of the stones and colors of the ribbons they were strung on signified rank- for example the emperor reserved the right to wear pearls, jade, and coral. Size of strand: 22.5" L (57.2 cm) largest bead: 1.5" L x 0.75" W (3.8 cm x 1.9 cm)

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-private Arkansas, USA collection, via descent in 2021; ex-private Florida estate, USA, acquired from the 1960s to 1970s

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#175292

Chips and abrasions to beads. Stable striations and light mineral deposits. Strung in modern times on a modern wire and clasp as a wearable necklace.