Pair of silver bracelets filled with resin. These bracelets represent caterpillars, animals that have the power to turn into dragons.
The dragon is both yan and yin: he is yang as a sign of thunder and celestial activity, and yin as ruler of the watery regions.
From the Miao people, Guizhou, China.
High grade silver.
From the beginning of the 20th century.
Provenance: European collection.
Dimensions (each):
Total size: 8,7 x 6,5 x 1,6 cm cm
Inner diameter: 5,8 cm
Back gap: 3 cm
Combined weight: 82,5 cm
Literature:
“Bracelets ethniques d’afrique, d’Asie d’Océanie et d’Amérique”, van Cutsem, Anne, Skira, 2002, p. 247
“The art of silver jewellery. From the minorities of China, the Golden Triangle, Mongolia and Tibet”, Skira, 2006, p. 108
“De fil et d’argent, memoire des Miao de Chine”, Museé des Arts asiatiques, Nice, 2004, p.125
SEA485
