| Original Message: Re: Peach Pit Beads |
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The vast majority of Asian carved fruit stones were made by the Chinese. Because I could not exclude the possibility of a similar Japanese tradition, I have just spent about a hour online, trying to find any evidence for Japanese peach pit beads or ornaments. None. Unfortunately, there is a well-known tendency for Asian ornaments that are Chinese to be misidentified as "Japanese." We see this constantly with the topic of ojime and netsuke—in which Chinese carvings are routinely said to be "Japanese." And specifically to be "ojime" and "netsuke." (There is a Chinese tradition of using toggles, that were similar to netsuke; but, generally, Chinese beads that have been mistaken for "ojime" have very different functions from the traditional function of an ojime.) In point of fact, over the previous forty (40) years, Chinese carvers have made actual reproductions of Japanese ornaments, that are then routinely misidentified, based solely on their "Japanese style." In the early 1980s these things were most-easily acquired in Hong Kong, China. Your strand of beads is composed from peach pits carved as "baskets." There are quite a few styles of these ornaments. And there are even non-Asian traditions of carving pits—that are essentially a folk art. I would have to guess that your carved pits are Chinese, and that they do not have a rosary function. They are just cute curious beads. Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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