Silver Bracelets of Ancient China

Stephen Tai
Apr.25, 1998

	1. A bracelet purely made of silver, decorated with features of peony, pine tree, and plum blossoms - 3 plants of traditional Chinese worshipped virtues.
	2. A pair of ivy bracelets covered with silver ornaments
	3. A chained silver bracelet mounted with jade

Silver had been the major element of womenôs accessories in the past, including various kind of bracelets.
#1 can be considered as a common one, with its utility of decoration, and if needed, being circulated as silver currency.
#2 has contained less silver than the average silver bracelet. Silver in here is just an ornament, however, what Chinese call Black Ivy was used as body of the bracelets. Such plant was very precious and hard to get. Chinese people in the past strongly believed that black ivy would have certain magic effects again some illness such as high blood pressure, and resulted in it being more expensive than silver of the same weight. Such bracelet may be taken as luxury decoration of the rich, and is not expected to be circulated as currency.
#3 was delicately featured and designed. It is unusual, for a pure green jade mounted as ornament, which would make such bracelet very costly. In such a case, the bracelet should have belonged to a rich woman who never thought about using it as silver currency.