Page 99 - Christies Asia Week 2015 Chinese Works of Art

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Ψ2070
AN AMBER AND JADEITE COURT
NECKLACE, CHAO ZHU
19TH CENTURY

The necklace is composed of 107 amber
beads of even dark tone spaced with three
mottled white and green jadeite ‘Buddha’s
head’ beads, thirty coral beads, a double-
gourd-form jadeite bead (fotouta) and
mounted oval jadeite pendant from which
hang three metal fligree-mounted teardrop
pendants of aquamarine, amethyst and
jadeite.

$7,000-9,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Maine, acquired in the
1940s.

The Qing court necklace was an essential part
of court dress, indicating both rank and season,
with different materials required for different
ceremonies. The materials and form of the
mandarin necklace were strictly codifed in
the Qing Huidian Tukao, written in the early
Qing dynasty, and also in the Huangchao Liqi
Tushi, compiled during Qianlong’s thirtieth
year (AD 1767). Linked to the Buddhist rosary,
the complete necklace was composed of
one hundred and eight beads separated into
four sections of twenty-seven beads by larger
‘Buddha’s head’ beads, and hung with three
strings or tapes which hung down the back.

A similar amber and jadeite court necklace from
the Lizzadro Collection was sold at Christie’s
New York, 21 March 2013, lot 892.

清十九世紀 琥珀翠玉朝珠

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