| Original Message: I recognize that dragon - and another Inaba button |
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I've found the way Chinese cloisonne artists interpret the basic dragon iconography to be quite interesting in the details. For instance, the shape of the chin, nose, and type of belly scales can be quite revealing as an indicator of a particular artist or atelier. http://www.beadiste.com/2013/10/puzzling-evidence-lao-tian-lis-dragon.html The cloisonne beads from the 1930s, among other objects, feature a dragon with only 4 toes instead of the usual 5 for post-Qing Chinese designs. [Blog post in the works] And once new artists began to take over the direction of the cloisonne workshops, the dragon has experienced an artistic resurrection - some designs very dramatic, others more cartoonish. Also find it interesting that the Chinese invested quite a bit of effort in producing cloisonne beads, whereas the Japanese seemed to find it easier to sell belt buckles and buttons. eBay item 221556292468 [vendor cancelled offering until she decides what to do with these, as she has a set of six] All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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