CHINESE 'Immortal' Demi: Sterling Vermeil Filigree & Carved Ivory

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Sterling Vermeil : Ivory : Chinese

$625 USD
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Our sterling vermeil and carved ivory demi is an example of the finest silverwork out of Asia at the turn of the 20th century, and depicts a favorite Chinese theme: mythology.

Our bracelet and pin set showcases one of the most elaborate filigree work I have seen, with genuine carved ivory panels, depicting the only female deity of the Eight Immortals, He Xiangu or Immortal Woman He. The Eight Immortals is a group of legendary deities whose powers can give life or death.

According to my research, our set is circa early 20th century, probably right after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, ending 2000 years of Imperial rule. Objects of art and personal adornment, including jewelry, found their way into international (Western) markets after that; our set was among those.

The silversmiths of the Qing dynasty were masters in all forms of silverwork, producing the finest pieces in Asia (in fact, in the 19th century, famed jeweler Louis Comfort Tiffany only imported silver out of China).

By the early 20th century, the favored styles for jewelry included open metalwork and silver mesh wirework, goldplating, and use of semi-precious stones. Our set is a fine example of this style.

Our bracelet is a chunky piece made up of three raised filigree panels with hand-carved ivory insets. Each ivory panel shows the deity He holding a lotus flower, amid droopy willow trees. She is wearing the traditional Chinese robe and has a smile on her face. The filigree work has flowers and clouds. No two panels or insets are exactly alike, everything being hand-made.

The pin looks like one panel out of the bracelet.

The bracelet is a little over 1" wide and about 1/4" thick. It is a petite 6" long, so will fit smaller wrists. It has a hidden-push in clasp that is marked Silver and "MC" (the hallmark of the artisan who made it; Chinese characters gave way to "Western" letters as forms of marking jewelry to cater to the foreign markets). Also has a safety chain.

The pin has a locking c-clasp closure. Both pin and bracelet show an amazingly fine mesh work in the back.

Especially considering its age, our set is in very good to excellent condition. The vermeil on the bracelet especially is outstanding, as it is still richly gilt and bright. It's as if the original owner tucked this away somewhere, unused.

The pin shows a bit more wear on the goldtone coating, more consistent to its age and use. There is a tiny chip off the ivory on one of the end panels in the bracelet (the top of a willow tree is missing), which is not noticeable at all and does not take away from the beauty of this set.

The world of Chinese silver ornaments is said to be one of the most rapidly expanding markets of antique and vintage jewelry. You can be part of this world with this set!

Item ID: 0608-CHI1