Pendant - 10 Mother-of-Pearl Tokens of the Qing Dynasty...

Elegant and exclusive lot composed of 10 antique round gaming tokens (known as chips or counters) made from authentic and high-quality natural mother-of-pearl, vintage in thickness. This refined series dates to the first half of the 19th century, during the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1800-1850), and is an excellent example of the famous Cantonese artisanal craftsmanship, specializing in the creation of objects of the utmost luxury to satisfy the tastes and commissions of European aristocracy via the routes of the East India Company. Executive refinement and craftsmanship details: The true peculiarity that dignifies this lot lies in its bilateral execution. While most standard export production was left smooth on the back to optimize labor time, each individual piece in this series is fully chased and hand-engraved on both sides. Each token is configured as a small work of art in itself: the detailed grooves traced by Chinese artisans give life to refined and different botanical and floral motifs, including elongated petals, stylized flowers, tendrils, and delicate geometric spirals. Material significance and physical attestations: The tokens were carved from the inner, noblest layer of large marine pearl oysters of the Indo-Pacific. As visible in the images taken on a dark background, the mother-of-pearl retains its exceptional and vivid three-dimensional iridescence, characterized by shifting hues ranging from deep pink to emerald green, and up to blue and silvery tones. The tiny natural weight variations (strictly between 1.2 grams and 1.3 grams per piece) and the imperceptible diameter asymmetries of about 2 cm certify the historical authenticity of 19th-century manual turning, offering collectors the assurance of a genuine piece far from modern resin or plastic reproductions. This series represents a splendid purchasing opportunity to enrich Qing Dynasty Asian art collections or for high jewelry designers wishing to reinterpret these historical modules into unique era-appropriate creations such as pendants, brooches, or bracelets. Conditions: The overall condition is good and fully consistent with its age and historical use in the salons of Western nobility. The tokens show the usual signs of time and the classic wear typical of mother-of-pearl objects dating to the 19th century, all detectable and clearly visible in the close-up images that form an integral and essential part of the description. The lot is sold exactly as illustrated.

Estimate:£0.84

View all items fromCatawikiorAsian Art