Antique Chinese Coral Seed Beads And Kingfisher Feather Necklace

Pictures below showing a 19th century coral seed beads (1mm), woven with a tubular peyote stitch, also known as gourd stitch necklace with dark blue beads, a green Peking glass bead and a pendant, decorated on both sides with kingfisher feathers and coral seed beads at the center, extended with the coral and kingfisher drop.

The brilliant vivid blue colour of the kingfisher feathers is a perfect contrast for the tube of coral seed beads with marvellous salmon red.

Such ornament was worn by women in the Mandarin / Imperial Court and were symbols of wealth and status. Because of the costly materials; the coral beads believed to be imported from Italy, the rare feathers from Cambodia and the intensive labor, all combine to make this fragile beauty as rare and desirable as it was years ago.

The necklace has a very extravagant and elegant feel to it.

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The antique Chinese coral seed beads and kingfisher feather necklace. It is finely woven with the coral beads to form a chain on which is suspended to a gilt medallion in butterfly motif, covered with brilliant blue kingfisher feathers, with extended coral beads and kingfisher feathers drop at the bottom. The medallion is two-sided and its center is highlighted by additional woven coral beads.

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