Antique Mandarin Court Chinese Kingfisher Pendant on Salmon-Red Coral Necklace

  
We are very proud to offer an exquisite Mandarin Court Chinese coral necklace composed of a Kingfisher brilliant blue feather and coral pendant suspended from a delicate tubular Peyote stitch coral necklace. The pendant is 2.5 inches long (including drop) x 1.5 inches wide - at its widest point. Some of the Kingfisher feathers are gone. The stitched coral necklace is called Peyote because Native Americans used this stitch. The coral beads on necklace are tiny being 2.0 mm.

The necklace is 27 inches long plus the 2.5 inch pendant. It is in original and excellent condition.

The necklace weighs 16 grams including pendant. A Royal Chinese lady would have worn this magnificent necklace at Court as a symbol of wealth and status.

This necklace is rare, scarce, and extremely desirable. It has a real bonus to boot. It comes with its small original box.

It is very much like one in the Susan Dods Memorial Collection website. Sadly she passed away in 2013 from a long illness. The following excerpt source is from - The Susan Dods Memorial Collection website. It is item 34 of 107 in her "Susan Dods Private Collection". That's what I call this set...

The brilliant blue of kingfisher feathers is a perfect contrast for the tube of coral seed beads... A professional bead artist explained how it was constructed, stating the coral was needle woven with a tubular'peyote' stitch (also known as a gourd stitch). This stitch was named "peyote" in the U.

In the late 19th century because it was often used by Native Americans. Research also shows that this stitch was also used in Africa and Guatemala. While none of the resources mentioned China, it is pretty obvious from this piece that it was used there. If anyone knows what it is named in Chinese, please let us know. Ornaments like these one were worn by women in the Mandarin Court and were symbols of wealth and status. The coral imported from Italy, the rare feathers... The intensive labor, all combine to make this fragile beauty as rare and desirable as it was 150 years ago.

Eiberhard comments in the Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986: Chinese are people of the eye. This is a wonderful example. Please examine the photos closely.

They are an important part of the description. We make every effort to describe items accurately, including their condition. We do our best to have satisfied customers by giving excellent service. Buyers Responsibility for Reporting Damaged Items. The item "Antique Mandarin Court Chinese Kingfisher Pendant on Salmon-Red Coral Necklace" is in sale since Friday, August 05, 2016. This item is in the category "Antiques\Asian Antiques\China\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "dcurry" and is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

This item can be shipped to United States.