The Parrot and the Pussycat

the parrot and the pussy cat did not go down  to sea.....

....  instead they came to  my home and I am their happy host. Here are  the pair of visitors  from the past :))

Both are carved from crystal but hail from different periods of Chinese culture.

What a beautiful pussy you are, you are ....

This sleek Puss with the snooty expression is likely to be from the late Qing Dynasty,  around 1874-1908AD. It sits on a flat pedestal which must have originally been intended to serve as a seal. However on this piece there is no carving on the flat bottom.

....you elegant fowl.....

I think the "elegant fowl", above is a Parrot. It has a hooked beak, round eyes, curved claws and the tail ends as a stand.  The piece is  partially corroded by iron rust marks and must have been buried with iron or metal objects. Parts of the body and the tail is covered by an abstract pattern carved in deep, strong  (dao gong  you li) lines. There are very old concentric ring drill marks in the perforation at the beak. 

Many parrot pieces have been discovered in Shang excavations and the shape and bearing of this elegant fowl has the flavour of that era. So, methinks or mehopes that this is a late Shang/early Zhou dynasty, about 1200-1000BC piece.

Honey Color Cylinder Beads

I bought these honey-color, cylinder-shaped beads from a junkman in China. He could not tell me the exact vintage, just said "very old."

These cylinders have no distinguishing features other than their lovely color.

I have not seen them in any Chinese research material, and will like the junkman accept them as old. I am not even sure whether the stone is carnelian, agate or serpentine. Maybe as junkman says it should simply be called "yu"

I love their honey color and cool (literally) and smooth texture, so gorgeous to touch. Here are the cylinders tied with button knots into a necklace.

The central flat black bead has an eye decoration on it. Is the stone black onyx and how old?

On the reverse there are what look like traces of encrustation from some leather article. If this is not glued on, and it looks like not, then there is hope that this is a fairly old bead too.

Reverse view

BRAIDS AND BEADS

Here's a friendship braid with tiny glass beads made by my friend Q. It arrived just in time for my birthday altho Q doesn't know nor meant it as a birthday present. It was entirely fortuitous.

She has been teaching me braids but not quite succeeding. I dont know why all my friends from M & M to Q produce lovely crafts and I am the odd girl out. I dont have crafters' hands, here is a specimen of my "maiden braid." Some maiden, looks like I have a long way to go.

Here are more lovely braids done by Q

Close up of the braids

Thank you Q ! Take a bow ! You have brightened my dark days, meanwhile I must jia you! jia you! :))

Carnelian and Rock Crystal Necklace

I composed and made this carnelian and rock crystal necklace using button knots. Making this necklace, provided dual benefits, as I could practice tying my knots and completing it means I can wear my favourite beads.

The carnelian cylinders were purchased from a Tibetan lady in China. She couldn't  tell me the exact vintage nor origin.

This shape is sometimes referred to as "bamboo " shape by the Chinese and sometimes "bulging at the waist " shape or "yao-gu-xing". I guess Westerners would say bi-conical. I have seen bamboo-shaped cylinder carnelian beads which have been provenanced to Western Zhou - Warring States (11-3rd century BC) in Chinese books, including Roger Chow's Sparkling Splendours, but I am not saying that my beads are ancient.

Lest I be scoffed at for false/misleading comparisons, I must explain that I am not drawing these comparisons to imply that my cylinders are authentic of the Warring States era. I have not seen many examples of these cylinders in real life, nor in books, (ah, alas the narrowness of my experience) and so it was interesting for me to come across the illustrations given in the Chinese documents. No ulterior motive intended :) Besides there are many other considerations apart from a similar looking shape to justify a bead as old/ancient, let alone belong to the fabulous Warring States era ! And for all I know my beads maybe new beads, new beads made old, old beads made older, antique, vintange, plain replicas, and many other combinations.

My specimen is in good condition and the stone if ancient is still shiny, the bead hole is rather large and the bamboo wedge shape is rounded, not sharp. Roger Chow's sample is sharp and so there's the difference. The walls of the bead are rather thin when compared to the size of the perforation. How did the tubes get so hollowed out ? Is this method of stone bead making peculiar to a period or culture? So the jury is still out on this pair of cylinder beads. And meanwhile they do pique my interest.

The central rock crystal bead is truncated, biconical, and faceted. It came from Myanmar and is likely to be Pyu about 100 BC to 840 AD or later.

RECYCLING JADE 2

"Rather a fragment of jade than
a complete tile of clay...... "

was said by the fool or hero, depends on how you look at it, Jinghao of the Eastern Wei Dynasty.(534–550)

These words cost him his head, but nonetheless immortalized him, as his phrase has been quoted over centuries by outstanding Chinese men and women and all true lovers of jade. Guess I am stretching Jinghao's words a bit, rather a big bit, but it does seem a cool phrase/idiom to start a topic on recycling jade. No doubt Jinghao's words refer to the high moral quality of jade whereas my subject, by comparison is more trivial.

And here to illustrate the enduring beauty of jade, is this tiny jade fragment which has been lovingly recycled with knots, beads, another jade and cord to make a wearable necklace.

jade fragment

fragment recycled into a wearable necklace

RECYCLING JADE 1

The birds in the tree



These miniature jade birds perching on the golden tree, were previously either haipin or button adornments for upper class Qing (1644-1912) ladies.

Thanks, Sit for the drawing of the tree.

Turquoise Turtle

Turtles have such long lives. They reputedly live up to 200years. But still I daresay none can be as old as this turquoise turtle of mine which I bought several years ago in China.

Most Chinese associate turtles with longevity, but if someone (especially the Hokkien clan) calls you Black Turtle Head, it is hardly a compliment. !!

My, turtle measures 4cm. It looks like it is swimming, with the head slightly at an angle and 4 legs sticking out. Its perforated at the tail and in the hole are concentric ring tool marks. There are also many marks on both the back and front of the stone.

Are these tool marks or are the marks natural to the stone ? Are the marks ancient or modern ? Looks like I am posing more questions than describing my piece. !

The stone is also weathered with damage on the back and on one side of the head.Its shell is flat rather than dome shaped and the carapace is etched with a criss cross pattern. OK, the workmanship is not great but the eyes peeping out under the shell, look expressive. And so to the eternal question - can it be a neolithic turtle ?? Sure wish I knew the answer. But meanwhile just enjoy, :))

Hongshan style Cloud Pendant

Here is another Hongshan style pendant which was purchased together with the one in previous post.

I am not normally a collector of replicas, but this one is such an amusing, inventive adaptation of the Hongshan classic Cloud pendant, that I couldnt resist. The original Hongshan cloud pendant is normally represented by an abstract pattern. The forger/reproducer of my piece has copied the original design and added a hole in the upper left and hey presto it is a sweet little deer! This cloud pendant turned deer measures 3.6x1.9cm.

Replica or no, deers, being my best collectible friends, next to birds, bees, fishes, butterflys et al, I was more than happy to get it. Hmmm, it may also be Ming or Qing vintage, like Xuang-Lian-Bi in earlier post. Now if only I could find a good way to string this one up life would be perfect :)

Double Connection Bi

Xuang lian bi is literally translated as Double Connection Bi. It is a shape orginating from the Hongshan Culture about BC.4000–3000 BC.

My miniature double connection bi measuring 2.7cm is made in the Hongshan style. It consists of two bis which are carved from one piece of jade with the bottom bi bigger than the top bi. Genuine double connection bis from the Hongshan culture are generally larger and I am sure mine is a replica. The seller had told me quite deadpan, that "large sized Hongshan pieces can be found anywhere but a small one would be a rare find." He!He! And he expected me to swallow his tall tale!

But inspite of the story which gave me a good laugh, I still bought the piece though not at Hongshan price. After all its quite nicely made, the jade is an attractive pale green, and this delicate piece appeals to me as my normal preference is for small over big. I am also optimistic that it may be made by a Ming miniaturist after my own heart. A final advantage is that I can wear it as a pendant strung up with my personally hand knotted cord.

The shape also resembles the number 8, which for Chinese is considered lucky. So heres to "BA!" (8) aka "FA" (prosperity)

Jade Slit-tube (Jue)

This Slit-tube artefact measuring 2cm long is also a Jue.

According to a Chinese source (Chinese jadeware: picture reference dictionary p.061) slit-tube as well as slit-ring jues were in existence in the Chahai Culture, around 5000BC. However, J Rawson in " Chinese jade: from the Neolith" says that "The earliest jue, which are more like slit-tubes than slit-rings, are found in the north-east in the Xinglongwa (about 5000 BC) and Chahai cultures (about 4500 BC), which preceded the Hongshan (about 3800-2700 BC)"

Although tube-shaped jues are described as probably ear ornaments by both the Chinese source as well as J Rawson I am at a loss to see how this slit-tube can be worn on the ear without falling off. These people from the Neolithic cultures sure have baffling ornaments. !

My specimen is plain with no embellishments and I am thinking that it may belong to some early neolithic culture. Jues (both tube-shaped and planar) from the later Warring states period have elaborate decorations of dragon, bird or cloud patterns on their surfaces.

IMPO a slit-tube (jue) looks more like a bead that has been slit and a better name for it could be "slit-bead (jue)." !

There is much weathering on the slit-tube, see pix below :

"Concentric-ring tool marks" are also present in the crevice of the slit-tube.

Here is another view of the slit-tube:

Looking at the slit-tube from this angle, gives me a wild idea that the tube may be sliced into several segments to form a few flat slit-rings. Now thats another silly thought for me to chew on. Yum! :))

Mystery Guy

He is made of yellow jade showing signs of red suffusion, patinisation and cleaving veins. He has large upslanting pop-out eyes, flat nose and wide mouth. He wears a longish robe with two stumps of feet sticking out

Is he a Man from Shang or a Man from Shu? Or is he a figment of modern fakers skilful invention ? This little fella is perforated from the top of his rather flat head so he is really a bead. He must be Beadman, oops, what am I talking about, of course I mean Jademan !

There are three things that puzzle me about this piece. I find his rather flat and bare head rather strange. Most Chinese archaic jade figurines will have some sort of hat, headwear, braids or something. I think the Chinese consider the head/brains very important. However I have come across a few figurines in books with flat heads so my piece may belong to the minority.

The second thing that puzzles me is the postion of his hands, one in front and one at the back. Most archaic jade figurals that I have come across have both hands in front clasped together as in greeting or resting on the knees. My Jademan has his right hand resting on his left arm for the front view, while at the back the left hand rests below the waist. He looks like he is in a pose of admiring the moon or composing a poem ? Figments of my own imagination :)) ?

The last puzzle is the back (see pic below) where the head is cut away and looks like the neck of a vase. Indeed the body does look not unlike the rounded part of a vase. However the fingers are carved in detail.

I have strung my Jademan with a string of very old carnelian beads. As I cant accurately pinpoint his years, I shall just say he is Mystery Guy from the Past and treat him like "..my little good luck charm...uh-huh huh, you sweet delight....." :)) He is all of 4.2cm tall.

The rounded carnelian beads have a "C" scroll pattern and maybe five hundred to a thousand years old.

Belt parts

Here are 2 white rectangular pieces I got from my friend, the connoisseur collector. She didnt want them because she thought that they were not collectible enough. Maybe she's right, who'd want these dusty rectangles ? Yeah, but I the gypsy collector just grabbed them ! I am not known as Garang Guni for nothing. Heh! Heh!

Each is pierced with six holes for attachement and the material looks like glass imitating jade but I am not sure. Perhaps it may be calcite.

In the book "Chinese Antique Glass" there are belt sets made up of components such as what I show. These examples appear in p.57, 62, 66. So it would not be too presumptious for me to think that my rectangles had once been used to make up belt sets too. The book gave timelines ranging from Tang to Ming, quite a lengthy and safe timeline, and I hope I will not be censured by glass shifus for following this guideline.

These rectangles are completely plain and unadorned so I am guessing that they maybe "grave goods" or they maybe used by less wealthy folks who could not afford jade.

Here's another belt piece which is also rectangular in shape and smaller than the above pieces. It may have been used as a "filler" or end spacer, examples of which can be seen in "Chinese Antique Glass" p.68. It is pierced on one side with two vertical holes and on the reverse side with two ox-nosed holes and the two sets of holes converge.

Ox-nosed holes

Hmm, I am wondering what manner of stringing or attachement went with such holes ? Unfortunately the long descriptive Chinese text in "Chinese Antique Glass" is beyond my comprehension. Trying to obtain information from Chinese books without knowing the language can be a handicap. It can even be a landmine which I had once upon a time fallen into. For example the author may use a Fake piece to illustrate some point he wishes to bring out, but the reader, who can't read the fine print unwittingly sees it as a real Mccoy. Ha Ha Ha !! Well, I have finally mastered the word for FAKE (FANG)in Chinese and its a word I am not likely to ever forget. Ahhh.. I am just dreaming that in an alternate life, or if there is a third dimension, I can cross over (as in "Hard Boiled Wonderland" ) to be an archaeologist or a Chinese interpreter? :))

3 Faces Bead

This face bead/pendant was first posted on July 20th 2008. I have only just discovered that this is in fact a 3 faces bead (3 faces of Eve?) After reading Chinese Jades through the Wei Dynasty by Alfred Salmony p.107 and seeing a similar (but not IDENTICAL) piece, I realised that the central human face is sandwiched by 2 tiger heads at each end. Look at the bead vertically and you will see what I mean :

And how foolish of me not to detect it. I had not looked hard enough and had thought the tiger heads were some trellis border (blush !)

There are three differences between my face bead/pendant and the one shown in Salmony's book.

1. My pendant is pierced at one end only while Salmony's is pierced at both ends.

2. My pendant is flat with identical carvings on both sides while the book example has a plain concave back.

3. The carving on my pendant is less stylised and dramatic than the book example.

Bearing all these differences in mind can my face pendant claim relationship and similar vintage, ie middle Zhou around 1027-771 BC ? Well, vintage considerations aside, it is still a real neat bead/pendant that intrigues.

And so my inscrutable "tygers" were you shaped by some "immortal hand or eye"? :))

Utilitarian but beautiful....

The Chinese made jadeworks not only for decorative or ornamental purposes. They also made utilitarian objects with jade such as the two beautiful white jade earpicks I show below:



The longer one on the left has floral carvings while the shorter one has one end decorated with a bee motiff. Both have a well shaped scoop end for the earpicking function. They are likely to be from the Ming-Qing period.

According to some sources, earpicks serve dual functions that is they can be used as headpin cum earpick. So I guess ancient ladies stuck these elegant earpicks on to their equally elegant hairbuns or coiffure and when they need to, they would just tweak it off and clean their ears. Doesn't sound so ladylike to me and surprising for those distant times when ladies were delicate beings who moved around with bound feet. But perhaps they only did their ear cleansing rituals in their private chambers ?

IMPO, the scoop of the shorter earpick seems a tad large for putting into the ear. It would surely cause some damage, I would hestitate to put it into my ear ! So, perhaps its really just a beautiful ornament.

Beautiful Hands

These beautiful jade hands are sometimes known as Fut Sow (Buddha Hands). I got them at a closing down sale. They are kind of newish (10-20 years) and I would not normally buy such stuff. But as the boss was clearing lock stock and barrel I thought they look kinda appealing and affordable.





For fengshui followers, Buddha hand is said to give people a strong support and ward off bad energy.

The smallest hand on the right is holding a piece of flat jade as well as a tiny bead clutched between thumb and forefinger. Now what can this be symbolic of, I wonder.

Conversation with Eggheads, er, Beadheads...

I call this composition 2 under the Crystal Tree.

These two sweet old beadheads are chit chatting under a crystal tree. One said "I am just a SWEET old bead" "Well better than a FAKE one " retorted the other. Words of oriental wisdom ? No just Murikami-style conversation amongst beadheads. Hehehe !!

Blue and yellow beadheads from China and Vietnam. Drawing on wood beads courtesy of S.

Amazing Faces of Zhulong

My talented friend Maddy designed this lovely necklace featuring a crystal zhulong as a centrepiece. She allowed me to take this picture to post on my blog for all zhulong admirers/fans. We put our heads together but still could not figure out the exact vintage of this particular piece. We just know that its a little old but definitely NOT as old as Hongshan. The supporting beads of turquoise, amber and coral give this necklace a Tibetan cast as these are the stone colors most often seen on Tibetan jewellery.

Here's a closeup :

With so much zhulongmania around, I too have finally gotten hold of a FAKE crystal zhulong, shown below. Wa, it sure looks ferocious and wild compared to Maddy's more genteel piece. I have a very bad eye that always sees wrong things, here I am about to make another strange sighting. Surely the zhulong shown here is looking like someone's grandma !! It brings to mind the famous exclamation, "... goodness, what big eyes you have grandma ?".... Hmmm, so is this a pig, a dragon or a grandma :)))

Apologies to the true and original zhulong which is a rare work of art. What I am really hoping, is that one day I will have the chance to hold it in the palms of my hands.

A Rainbow in the Sky

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.by william wordsworth.

Thanks A. for sending me this Rainbow of Hope It is indeed a beautiful work of nature and I am glad to use it to mark new beginings and old endings to my blog. Thanks too to WW for this unforgettable verse to lighten up my quiet Musings.

Look out for more frolic with jade, manao, crystal, turquoise. glass, braids, knots, beads, hairpins, animals and other little wonders.........

White Jade Square

This flat white jade square with 4 holes was purchased on one of my China trips. This piece may have formed part of a jade belt or it could be a Pei. A jade pei is a pendant used in ancient times as a decorative ornament , stitched with silk threads to other items to form a belt or chateline.

The color is greyish white with low relief carving showing a pattern of interlocking long "S" scrolls and short "C" scrolls and the same pattern is repeated on both sides. There are small patches of white calcification on the surface and this whitening appears on both sides which maybe evidence of antiquity.These aging marks make me optimistic(though not postive) that my jade square may at least be Ming if not Han.

Using snake knots and Pyu green glass beads, I converted this last ramnant of an ancient jade belt or pei into a unique pendant necklace with a long history.

Spring and Autumn Necklace

I purchased these 3 long cylindrical crystal beads from China. The seller had said Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BC) which makes them 2773 years old. From my experience Chinese sellers like to attribute anything crystal to either Spring and Autumn or Warring States Period and sometimes Liao Dynasty. I dont know the real reason for this penchant but my guess is that there must have been many excavations of crystal beads and artefacts from tombs of these periods.

Incidentally, I have also come across a magazine article in Cultulral relics world no6, 2007 featuring excavations from Zhejiang Province which showed a whole pile of crystal cylinder-shaped beads which were provenanced to Spring and Autumn - Warring State period. So based on this flimsy evidence the date for my long crystal beads may be considered acceptable ? Sound like a 1/2 past six theory, even to my own ears, but this is the best case I can make out for it :))

The beads measure from 3.5-4 cm, are drilled from both sides and drill marks are evident in the perforations. The shape is simple and elegant and the surface is quite pristine without much weathering except at the ends.



There is something about ancient crystals which make me go gaga, although I am not really into new age beliefs, I guess they do have some kind of attractive energy. My knotting fervor has by no means abated and so I worked out this design of button and roll knots incorporating one of the long crystal bead in the centre flanked by smaller white ancient glass beads from Vietnam.


O well, genuine or not Spring & Autumn Necklace is a lovely name for my long crystal bead necklace. It feels very special and I shall have joy wearing it.

Welcome to the Lunar New Year of the Bull er, OX

O that the year of the Ox will usher in a mad Bull run ! It seems appropriate for me to post here my bull seals. Lest I be accused of being off-topic as I have self declared this blog to be about jade and beads, I must quickly add that in bead terminology a seal is also bead related especially bead seals.

The seals I show below are made of crystal and were purchased in Cambodia.

The first bull seal above is dome shaped with two holes drilled at the top for stringing and was probably used as a pendant or amulet.

The next 3 seals also depict bulls but are flat and without holes.

I have come across seals like these in the ACM (Asian Civilisation Museum) According to the writeup given on the ACM display, Khmer crystals have been discovered at sites along the Mekong Delta. It goes on to say that the engraved crystals "probably served as seals or stamping dies and clay impressions taken from the seals may have been used as offerings as they have been found under boundary stones and the foundations of temples."

The engraving on my seals are beautiful and I sure hope they are authentic Khmer period seals related to those described in the ACM exhibit.

On page 124 of Ornaments from the Past: Bead Studies after Beck there is also a picture of an intaglio of a bull attributed to Indian origin which is somewhat similar to my above seals.

Here is a plasticine impression of my crystal bull seals :


While the first bull looks like it could "charge" the remaining three bulls are more like "sitting bulls", very mild and docile. I have seen sculptures of such peaceful bulls in temple grounds of the Angkor ruins.

The color for Lunar New Year is red and it would be unseemly for me to post only white crystal seals . Actually white is taboo for tne New Year, so I'd better not defy tradition. Lucky I got a brown colored one in my set of bull seals. I think maybe this stone is jasper.



The reds and golds in the following pic will give a more auspicious welcome to the OX, Bull, Oxen, Cow, what's in a name anyway so long as we can say Gongxi Facai, Nian Nian you ZHU, er, Every Year Have BEADS :-)))


And to conclude my Ox and Bull Story here are some real Water Buffaloes from my old home town, many moons ago!!




And as a bonus for me someone kindly planted some cardboard cows on the rolling green behind my home to welcome Year of the Ox 2009, how very considerate !


Mooooooo! And oh dear, many of these cows were subsequently stolen ! Tsk! Tsk!

The Lotus and the Lark

The header of this post sounds like a title from some profound book. But it is not ! Its only about my tiny jade lotus strung up with the larks head knot in blue/grey cords.


Jade lotus vintage about 50-100 years old. There are also 4 ancient Vietnamese white glass beads accents. Planning to wear this for the Lunar New Year.

Double Coin Knot n Jade Yuan Bao Necklace

I made this "lucky" necklace to ring in the New Year.

It is composed of the double coin knot as a central piece with button knots and ancient Vietnamese glass beads making up the rest of the chain. The double coin knot is a decorative motif composed of two antique Chinese coins overlapping one another and symbolizes prosperity and longevity. Dangling from the knot is a jade yuan bao which also represents old Chinese coin or money. Gold is the symbol of wealth and so the gold color satin cords add emphasis to this manifold auspicious necklace ! How cheesy can I get ? :)

Here's a close up of the necklace :

Well so much for welcoming the New Year, as 2008 draws to a close I am not without sadness. In my favourite comfort columnist AY's* words the year has not been without "its sadness and joys, relief and regrets" And for my last post of 2008, I'd like to shed a silent tear for all partings, good byes, personal losses and pain which has been.....

Postscript: Sadder still, AY passed away suddenly in June. So, no more consoling words... He has touched many lives, including people he did not know.

Sa Huynth Earrings

This funny shaped three pronged stone (maybe nephrite ) ornament was purchased from South Vietnam. I think it belongs to the the nephrite earrings (sometimes called lingling-o) from the Sa Huynh Culture of Vietnam (1000 BC to 200 AD), a late prehistoric metal age society on the central coast of Viet Nam.

However my specimen may not be genuine Sa Huynh. I somehow got the feeling that it is a replica. The seller being uneasy himself, had said that it is from the Champa Kingdom, a later civilization and that could bring it as far down as 1800.

The curled up C-shaped ornament also reminds me of the Chinese Hongshan (3500 to 2000BC) zhulong(pig dragon.) The zulong is descended from the jue(slit ring) and the jue-form is also used in Vietnam although later than the Chinese period. So from this chain of reasoning my impression that the lingling-o and zhulong are distant cousins, relatives or whatever, may not be too far fetched ! Though I must admit that my assumptions are completely unscientific !

Are my eyes or mind playing tricks on me ? Seems like the more I look at it the more I see the zhulong pose (minus the prongs) in the earring ornament. Here are two views:

The picture on the left is a lingling-o looking view (the earring view) usually shown in books and other sources. The picture on the right shows a different view. Does it not resemble the curled up zhulong ? Wish I could post a picture of a zhulong for comparison. Unfortunately, I do not own one not even a replica. However jade collectors would be familiar with this legendary artifact and the Net would also have many images of this illustrous mythical animal.

So is this a fake lingling-o that looks like a zhulong ? Well I must say this is one tricky piece and the faker must be having a good chuckle baffling hapless collectors like me. :)

Here is another C-shaped, lingling-o/zhulong lookalike ornament made from glass also purchased in Vietnam.

Vintage unknown.

Large Spherical Jade Bead

This emerald-green satin cord of snake beads sits well with my large pale green spherical jade bead.

I used this piece as practice for making snake-knots and it looks not too bad ? Hehehe! Self applause and loud clapping ! As a l-i-m (learn-it-myself) crafter I must admit that my project was not all smooth sailing and I did encounter obstacles. First of all my cord dimensions although taken from a pattern in a book, ended on the short side. It may be due to typo error or it might have been due to the loose tension in forming the knots. Although the snake knot is one of the easiest of the Chinese knots, the tension still took a while to get the hang of. I had to unpick and start over many times. Oooo ! what a pain in the neck that was ! With chinese knots the mantra is not only "practice, practice, practice !!" but also "patience, patience, patience" It is also dash difficult to get the snake knots to lie flat, they keep on undulating like a typical snake !

My poor grasp of the chinese instructions was another handicap. On the bright side I actually picked up and learned some new vocabulary...

Back to my bead .. like all things Chinese this necklace has many auspicous meanings. The large bead is carved with the Chinese character "Shou" for longevity, while the snake represents - rebirth renewal and healing. It is also regarded as a source of good luck as well as guardian of treasures.

The surface decoration of the bead consists of two roundels with the character "Shou" and surrounded by spiral patterns. I guess this is a new bead of not more than 20 years. It's large size 2.5cm across makes it a good centre piece for a choker necklace. Close-up below:

Here are 5 more similar looking beads in various sizes.

Fun with Dolls and Beads

Playing with dolls and beads seems like return to second childhood! But I just could'nt resist making these cute "wawas" or dolly wollies with knots and beads. So please indulge my silliness for one post, ok? :)



The heads are made from monochrome old Chinese and Indonesian glass beads.For the feet and hands I use seedbeads with a couple of ancient trade wind beads for the hands of the left dolly. The flat knot is used to make the doll's bodies. I got the pattern from a Chinese knotting book.

Buttons and Beads

Button knots look like beads and make lovely accents for my ancient beads. I am so glad I mastered the button knot to tie this necklace of ancient glass beads from Vietnam. Cord knotting is also a gentler medium for stringing of centuries old beads.


The large central greenish bead is barrel shaped while the two side beads are melons of a dark green shade. These beads may be imported from China or it maybe made locally. Looking at their general condition I make a wild guess that they may date from 1000 to 500 years old.

This second necklace is also composed of glass beads from Vietnam.


The knots used are the cross knot for the central bead and button knots for the rest of the necklace. Lavendar is my favourite color and these lavendar cords and knots gently pamper the 1000 year ancient white glass beads from Vietnam.

The button knot looks like a rosebud hence its also known in some quarters as rosebud knot, see closeup below :


Seller said the beads belong to the Cham Dynasty(from approximately the 7th century through to 1832, according to Wikipedia) The central bead is ovalish or ovoid (I think this is not the correct bead description term, but nevermind) with impressed grooves. The accompanying 2 beads are melon shaped.

Dragonflys with beady eyes

In these dark and dreary days of market crashes, lost savings and wrecked lives, I find relief in making these little knotted dragonflys with beady eyes.


These elusive bugs sure provide an antidote from the toxic problems of the current age and times. Some old sage might have said of them "Blessed be these simple critters with their diaphanous wings, they will give us peace.. ....." oops, sorry, dreamt that one up and just joking, read too much Murakami and Kundera ... heh! heh!

The knot used is the flat knot, sometimes called square knot.The beads used in the eyes are old Chinese and Indonesian glass seedbeads as well as a couple of Venetian whitehearts.

On a more mundane level these dragonflys also make good decorative material for handbags, backpacks, mobile phones and can be used as souvenirs and giftaways.


Or it can be worn on a cord as a pendant.


As these dflys can be made in small sizes I need only use the leftovers and remnant cords from other projects and need not incur extra expense. So they are really fun and free.

Here's a dfly of another kind, from my jade collection.


And not forgetting the real thing from my garden fence. I stalked it the whole morning and finally caught its diaphanous wings !


Oh, here's a bonus ! I spotted another welcome visitor on my fence, -- a red dragonfly.



Finally thanks to Jack Keene http://whatknot.tripod.com/knots/dragon.htm for the online pattern and tutorial on the making of the dragonfly using chinese flat knots.

More groovy, grooved, jade beads

Here are 3 companion beads to the groovy huan/ring in previous post. Purchased on the same trip and cut in the same groovy pattern, I cant help but think they are all from the same era. (Spring and Autumn Period 771-475 BC.) Overall color is also similar though patina, which can never be the same, shows some variation.

So far I have been unable to locate similar looking beads in books, the net, museums or markets which lead me to conclude (rightly or wrongly) that these are "uncommon" beads. Alternatively these beads may be regarded as "unimportant" among China's prodigious artefacts and therefore are never documented. Also, I may be looking in all the wrong places.


The beads are frail and hoary. They are weathered and bleached almost to the bone. But the twisty grooves are still vivid and impressive. The original color beneath the patina is lemony yellow with the usual age-mark magic spirals lightly sketched in the perforations. Each bead measures 3cmx1cm.

I am planning to compose and knot a necklace comprising this family of ring and beads but my bad back is acting up again and for the time being I have to be satisfied with just this short post to muse about them.

Groovy Huan/ Ring

I am not trying to be cute with the header for this post. This ancient Huan or Ring, to give it its more general name, is really full of grooves. Although Chinese normally describe this kind of pattern as "twisted rope design", some sources have described the spiral patterns as grooves, which I suppose is also correct. I purchased it more than 5 years ago from Shaanxi Province. According to my "research" the "twisted rope" carving style of this Ring ornament can be dated to to Spring and Autumn Period 771-475 BC.

The jade has been altered and is completely covered with a beige patina. It is no longer jade like. But still fascinating nevertheless. The patina is like a piece of crepe which engulfs the whole Ring whilst inside the grooves a regular pattern of ridges (?) or maybe should I say crinkles or wrinkles can be seen? O dear don't know whether this is the correct description or if I am making sense! I dont know all the correct terms and would never make a good curator. Sigh !But please look at the picture to have a clearer idea of what I am driving at.

There is also iron rust marks on the one side of the Ring.

I speculate that the "ridges" visible in the grooves represent the tool marks on the original surface of the jade Ring. This Ring is also very well made with the grooves almost precision carved. The patina, the ancient toolmarks of grinding and the beautifully cut grooves all make this an unforgettable piece of artwork. Ahem, these are just my personal observations and ideas and and I have no hard facts to back up my story !

On a more serious note, there is a report about a paper * that delves into how groovy Ring ornaments, similar to mine, were created 2,500 years ago using compound machines. According to Harvard graduate Peter Lu "the spiral patterns on the small rings are Archimedes' spirals, which he believes are the oldest evidence of the use of compound machines." in China. He has even conducted an experiment to prove his controversial view.

O, the wonder of Chinese civilization, and their wonderful early inventions and works of art !

*http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn5103(for those who wish read about the theory )

Replica Jatims and Chinese Knotting

A few years ago while still in my salad days of beadcollecting I bought a bundle of replica jatims.

Genuine Jatims are ancient glass beads from Indonesia which are very collectable and costly. Unfortunately my hoard are not the genuine stuff and I was stuck with them! Frustrated and not knowing how best to dispose of them I ended up using them as bottle stoppers!!

As picture shows combination didnt seem to gel and the project was soon abandoned.

These beads have caused me much heartache and I had left them to languish in my cupboard for a long time. But now that I have taken up Chinese knotting, I have found a new use for them. These large colorful beads with their ample perforations are just the right size for the rather thick cords used in Chinese knotting. Here's an example of Jatim millefiori beads strung with a Chinese double connection knot.

Hmm, do the jatims bring out the rich glow of the satin green cords or does enhancement happen the other way round ? Anyhow chinese knots have brought me to a better relationship with my repro jatims.I will be knotting necklaces with blue and white cords for my blue and white-eyed millefiori jatims and maybe yellow cords for those with yellow dots and stripes etc etc ......looks like I have projects up to my ears.

Beads and Chinese Knotting

Some folks knit, some crochet or tat. Well, I choose knotting and this is hardly surprising since such a skill will naturally complement my bead and jade obsessions.Its only surprising that I have come to it so late. I tried to pick it up a few years ago with little success but this time round I have been more determined. I am not gifted at handwork so its really taken a lot of dogged perserverance and practice to get the hang of knots.

I have always admired those beautifully knotted and strung strands in books or on the net, and kicking myself to see why I cant do it like any other ordinary mortal. Finally, after much gnashing of teeth, here is my first finished project.

The bracelet shown above is strung and knotted together with the Double Connection Knot which is a basic knot for beginners. Still my thumby fingers had to put in oodles of practice before getting the knot straight.

The beads are Chinese glass beads circa 19-20th Century and look not unlike beads featured on p58 of Collectibe Beads by Robert K Liu.

An unexpected bonus about practicing basic Chinese knots (not the complex ones mind you) is that it is quite relaxing and is the ideal in-between-activity while waiting for my family members who are always less than punctual for outings ! I call it knot therapy and it actually keeps me from getting mad. And also, call me corny, but it satisfies my hunger for making things as opposed to eating things :) Knotting is also kinder to elderly eyes than most other craft work.

Other learning projects completed :

The double connection knot used here looks especially good when made in contrasting colors of red and brown as shown in my example. The crumb glass beads are old Chinese glass beads sometimes called Peking glass beads.



Creeper knots are easy to make and look cute. They can also be adapted to hold beads to make a quaint necklace.


Another creeper knot necklace knotted on thicker cord.



The beads shown are old Chinese glass in monochrome colors circa 19th century thereabouts.

Swinging Eyes

Here's another ancient swinger! The eyebead, swinging in the Huan.


Briefly, a Huan according to the Chinese definition is a ring with a big central hole as opposed to a Bi which has a small hole. There are more detailed differences separating a Huan a from a Bi, but for my purpose this short description should surfice.

Not sure what century this Huan belongs to but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say Han 206BCE–220 AD or earlier. Huans are normally made of jade but this one looks more like agate or manao.

I am hoping that the many internal fissures or crazing on the Huan is a sign of great age. These fissures also look like what the archaic jade analysts describe as "cleaving veins". Of course "cleaving veins" may apply to jade only and I am using my imagination to stretch it a bit :) Below close up of the Huan. Hope what looks like "cleaving veins" to me can be clearly seen.


There are perforations at the top and bottom of the Huan ring which is just perfect for me to attach the eyebead using the flower knot to create a dangle. Wow, what a swinging threesome of flower knot, Huan and eyebead.

The eyebead hails from the Warring States period approximately 481-221 BCE and has beautiful violet and brown spots(the eyes) against a background of pretty blue faience.

PS :Just wish to add that the flower knot shown above is not my handwork. It was bought from a shop.

Eyes in Jade Jue

One day while looking through a Chinese jade book * I was excited to come across an artefact from the Warring States period (481-221 BCE.) consisting of a silver belt and jade hook embellished with 3 jade jues and 3 warring states eyebeads. I had not previously known that Warring Sates eyebeads could be used as a decorative element on another article. I had thought that such beads were only meant to be worn. So it was indeed a revelation and it prompted me to dig out my own jade jues and Warring States eyebeads for some kind of action.

Lacking a silver belt, I then made do with my jues and eyebeads to come up with the following composition "Eyes in Jade Jues" A jue is a slit ring and were used as earrings in ancient China and neighbouring Vietnam. Eyebeads are the famed Warring States beads from China.



The two jade jues used in above picture are from Vietnam's Sa Hu culture ((1000BC-200AD). The eyebeads are from Warring States period (481-221BC)and were purchased in China. So this is what we would call a "rojak" combination of styles, periods and cultures.

The jues are well polished nephrite with bevelled edges and even after many centuries of burial are still wonderfully tactile. The eyebeads are made of faience(ie not glass) with glaze decorations and are full of attitude.

Apologies that the jues and eyebeads are not perfect fits but I had to make do as it is not easy to have a large supply of these ancient materials. Just hope this humble illustration of "Eyes in Jues" will be an eyeopener for jade and bead lovers everywhere.

* Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series p.67 (for those who want to refer to the image)

Yuan Yang Ducks

I bought this "yu" carving of yuan yang ducks from my Guiyang trip. The name yuan yang, which refers to mandarin ducks, is a symbol of marital bliss in Chinese culture and such ducks are often featured in Chinese art.

The pair of ducks, set in a border of lotus leaves are the picture of harmony. Guiyang is bird country and so carvings of birdlife are common. I think the material is not jade though seller had claimed "yu". It is likely to be what the Chinese call manao, and which can cover anything from agate to carnelian and yu.



I am not sure which century these loving ducks hail from but 50-100 years should not be too far off the mark. I love the peaceful aura exuded by them and it is no wonder that fengshui masters promote yuan yang ducks for healing and enhancing relationships.