China 1900 Export Dragon Bracelet in .925 Sterling Silver With Cat's Eye Obsidian
Chinese exportation dragon Victorian bracelet.
Beautiful piece, created in China for exportation during the Qing dynasty period (1644-1911), circa 1900. This three dimensional bracelet has been crafted in the western taste of the Victorian era (1837-1901) with the figure of a mythological flying dragon in .925/.999 sterling silver, with textured surfaces. Suited with a hinge and a pin bar as a closure system.
The dragon is holding with the mouth and legs four gemstones, that are mounted in bezels. They are four oval cabochon cut (8 x 10 x 5 mm) of natural cat's eye obsidians with a combined weight of 10.16 carats and are displaying gorgeous chatoyancy phenomenal effects.
The eyes are bezel set, with two round cabochon cut (1 mm) of black onyxes.
Has a total weight of 39.2 Grams and the inside circumference is 7.85 Inches (20 Cm) The width measure is 35 mm (1.38 Inches).
Stamped with characters and the hallmark for the assay of the silver, ".925 19 19".
The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing, was the Manchu-led last dynasty in the imperial history of China. It was proclaimed in 1636 in Manchuria (modern-day Northeast China), in 1644 entered Beijing, extended its rule to cover all of China proper, and then extended the empire into Central Asia. The dynasty lasted until 1912. In orthodox Chinese historiography, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The multiethnic Qing empire lasted for almost three centuries and assembled the territorial base for modern China. It was the largest Chinese dynasty and in 1790 the fourth largest empire in world history in terms of territorial size. With a population of 432 million in 1912, it was the world's most populous country at the time.
Note: Chinese export silver is objects made in silver in foreign taste for export, mainly to Europe. In the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twenty centuries, through the Chinese Canton System (Canton Port) and also after that, the opium war, the Treaty of Nanking and Treaty of Tientsin, Chinese Qing Dynasty became a major exporter for fine Chinese goods such as tea, spices and porcelain etc. to Europe, Germany, France, Russia and America. Treaty trading ports were further extended throughout the entire Qing Dynasty's land.
Chinese export silver extends from the last quarter of the 18th century to the early 20th century, with roughly fifty known makers. Forms include tea ware and hollowware, vases and urns, goblets, candlesticks, flatware, card cases, boxes, and much more. Export silver became more commercial in quality after the first quarter of the 20th century, but production in older styles continues.
Most pieces are repoussé in the round with scenes of dragons, figures in courtyard settings, battle scenes, and of a variety of vegetation. Most have hallmarks, some with Chinese characters, and many bearing the name of a silversmith firm or retail shop. Early on, silversmiths adopted the practice of stamping their pieces with pseudo-English hallmarks, possibly derived from flatware brought by foreign travelers to be copied by local craftsmen. As time went by, these hallmarks became more abbreviated into Western-style initials, and the examples sometimes bear the place of manufacture such as Canton, Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Beijing.
Condition: The overall condition of this bracelet is good. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the silver, just some usual minor bumps and nicks. All the gemstones, are secured in the settings. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and the authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: B0000MNNG/.1112
