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19th Century Shakudō Monkey/Dog Pendant

19th Century Shakudō Monkey/Dog Pendant

$1,750.00


Description

DATE: Victorian, c.1890

Very weird Japanese Shakudō pendant formed as a monkey/dog creature. It's holding a rope in its mouth, with clover motifs along its back and gold eyes and nose. Shakudō is an alloy of gold and copper that, when treated, takes on a black (or sometimes indigo) patina. It's one of the irogane colour metals traditionally used in sword-making, door locks, drawer handles, and, in modern times, jewellery. The colour metals are all forms of copper, with either impurities or alloys, treated in niiro patination processes which usually involve boiling in a specially prepared solution containing rokusho. The formulae for rokusho are not published widely or freely, but passed on in the Japanese craft tradition.

MEASUREMENTS 

3.2 x 1.5cm (not including jump ring)

WEIGHT 

4.1g

MARKS 

No marks present, fittings test as 9k gold

CONDITION 

Very good

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