A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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These type of locks have always interested me. I bought a few when I was in China 11 years ago. Our guide translated all the various wishes that were inscribed on them. I have one with the original chain attached. I'll take pictures and post. Thanks for sharing these , Hillary.
I'd love to see your locks. Have you ever seen the book by Margaret Duda, FOUR CENTURIES OF CHINESE SILVER? If you don't have it and you like Qing silver, it's worth getting, and not too pricey either. I posted a couple of others a few days ago; they're in the Qing folder in my photos. I'm selling the above locks in Vivid Vault along with some other Qing Dynasty Chinese silver pieces.
On a different note, I also just got a fantastic bracelet on eBay, I think it's Algerian- Aures or Tunisian, it made me think, "Toya would appreciate this!"
I used to wear a lock that said, "Number One Scholar" when I went to take my Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology tests! The three main wishes on many locks were: good job, beautiful wife, lots of bouncing boy babies, not so different from what many men might want nowadays! I like the locks that say "100 families" as someone once told me that families would all contribute to the cost of making the pendant for the new baby.
Hi Hillary. Yes, I have that Chinese Silver book and it is great. When I was in China for an art tour we visited some remote villages. I spoke no Chinese but when curious Chinese village women would come up to me I would reach in my bag and take out a lock or silver pendant to show and ask if they had any to sell. They would get very excited and all run off to their homes and return with all the treasures they had hidden away. I have very fond memories of my "conversations" (without speaking the same language) about the beautiful treasures. We spoke the language of silver.