19th Century Dragon Bracelet
In China, the dragon is a legendary creature, ubiquitous with culture, prosperity, power and good luck. It is a guardian of natural spaces, and an elemental force associated with water: a protector of rivers, lakes, and oceans, and able to manifest typhoons, rainfall, and floods.
We find such creatures, nature guardians, in the mythology of every human culture: the fairies of Ireland, nymphs of ancient Greece, elves of Norse mythology, and the ko-dama of Japan. Mythology is more than storytelling for entertainment or a way to preserve a society's history or culture (of course, it does serve both of these roles). I believe that we, as humans, require these stories to help us to coexist with nature. They foster a deep reverence for the lands that we inhabit, and everything in them too - rivers and mountains, animals, plants, and trees, storms and floods. And we need them to preserve the vital biodiversity that we rely on to survive. Maybe human mythology is nature's way of tempering the excesses of greed and colonisation. After all, Mythology - and creatures like the dragon - remind us of our place on this Earth.
A remarkable 19th century coiled dragon bracelet carved from pink and white sections of queen conch shell. The head is looks somewhere between a snake and a wolf, with prominent fangs and eyebrow ridges, and a long snout, while the individual body segments are cleverly carved to overlap one another like scales. Presumed Chinese, circa 1830.
Era: Qing Dynasty, circa 1830
Size: Adjustable. It's lightly sprung to conform to the wrist
Head: 3.8cm by 1.4cm
Body segments: range from 11mm to 6mm wide
Stone: Queen Conch Shell
Marks: None
Condition: Good antique condition, light wear consistent with age
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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