| Original Message: Carved bone beads from Susan Dod's website |
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I haven't received them yet, but I was hoping they were court necklace beads. From Susan Dod's website: "The (court necklace) beads are precious and semiprecious stones, most of them elaborately carved. Enameled metal and carved seeds or wood were also used. Choice of stone was predetermined by rank and only the emperor and his family were permitted to wear eastern pearls, coral, lapis and tourmaline….and later the newly discovered Burma jadeite. Officials of lower rank were permitted other materials such as carved seeds and nuts. These necklaces appeared in court from 1644-1911. The necklace is 108 matched beads divided into four sections by three larger(25-30mm)beads (fouou or head bead) and one other large bead in a gourd shape (fodouda or Buddha head) that hung down the back to act as a counterweight. The head bead leads to a flat woven tape then a large pendant and finally a gemstone drop. Three additional strings of 10 smaller beads terminate in gemstone drops with enameled silver caps…" All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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