Carefully curated pieces of jade art

 

 

I hope the title of this post doesn't sound too grand for my little jade discards. I couldn't resist using  the catchy title  even at the risk of sounding pretentious.



Carefully curated



 

Each piece measuring approximately 1.5cm to 2.3cm is  hand carved from paper thin jade. Imagine the work!

Do these curious charms or amulets  some damaged and faded merit such praise? Is it art? Is it craft or is it junk? Reader and collector, I leave it to your individual discernment and taste to judge. As for me I rate them as crafty art, these neato pieces of finely carved jade depicting bamboo, flower, plant, butterfly etc.


 

Hand carved from paper thin jade

 

There is a history of more than 100 years behind these delicate but durable carvings. The artisans  worked laboriously to turn them into all things natural and auspicious,  such as plants, weeds, butterflies, bees, flowers and what have you. These in turn are assembled into artistic hairpins and other ornaments. Through the passage of time, people no longer use old fashioned hairpins and ornaments, their   live styles and hairstyles evolving towards modern jewelery and trendy accessories.  As they fall into disuse the jade pieces become detached from their gold and silver mountings. The metals are melted down and sold or recycled but jade which is indestructible are cast aside  to be rediscovered by bargain hunters at flea marts, yard sales and junk stores. Hah ! Now I really feel like a curator, narrating the life story of these charms.

 





life story of jade charms



I have mounted them onto red templates  arranged over a black background. I must confess that I  got the idea of such a compilation from  a photo I espied on ebay. So thank you  my ebay compatriot. I sure hope your picture sold well. And hope you pardon this copy-cat-collector borrowing your design. As the cliché goes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery :)

Jade on red templates over a black background



It was finally made into a framed picture and the treasured pieces now decorates part of my wall space.

 

 

Jade charms decorate my wall



 



 

Restringing SK's chips

I got these 2 strands of chip necklaces from SK with whom I recently reconnected after some 20 years.

 

2 strands of rose quartz and aventurine chips



The top strand is aventurine and bottom strand is rose quartz. As I have not worked with chips before I turned to my teacher You tube for inspiration. This set of bracelets and earrings are the result.

Rose quartz bracelet and earrings set

 

With my interest stirred, I went on to make  another chip piece this time with aventurine, pearl and red bead accents

Aventurine chips with pearl and glass red beads

 

Thank you SK for gifting me the chips which relieved  a dull afternoon. I enjoy wearing them too.

 

pretty rose quartz bracelet

aventurine, pearl and red glass beads