Friendship Knots for Bi Lovers

My friend Q taught me this simple and useful friendship knot

Made in contrasting colors these knotted chains are handy for attaching accessories, especially for my collection of bis.The knotted chain can be attached to any bi (or other circular accessory) by using the larks head knot.

The necklace is completed wih a flat knot so that the length can be altered according to the outfit of the day.

Here are are my favourite bi accessories marking my love for jade, knots and bis.

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