Copper Dragon Three-hole Bead Bracelet Charm

In Han pattern the dragon is the chief of the scaly creatures, able to raise cloud and rain. From the kui dragons of the pre-Qin bronzes to the five-clawed dragons of the Ming and Qing, its form never stopped changing. Tibet has dragons as well, but those are nagas, a class of water spirit, serpentine, hornless or nearly so — a different genealogy altogether. This piece takes the Han dragon. Dragons already appear on Shang and Zhou bronzes, closer then to a serpent's body with a beast's head; Han dragons begin to grow wings, and Tang bodies stretch out. On folk objects the dragon is treated more freely than on official wares, where the number of claws and the shape of the horns are policed.

The dragon on this three-hole bead is coiled, head turned back, whiskers and horns filling most of the surface. The main strand passes through from either side, so the bore divides the body into two: head in front, tail behind. The composition saves space and lets the creature look alive. The head should follow the run of the strand; worn on the left wrist or the right, it presents differently. The front panel is small, so the body can only be coiled one and a half turns.

Copper. The scales are punched one at a time with a small semicircular chisel, set close together and granular under the finger. The claws carry three toes, which is usual on folk work — the five-toe rule belongs mainly to pieces made for official use. The horns are shaped like a deer's and swept back, not like an ox's. There is a logic to the scale spacing: dense at the neck and sparser towards the tail; get it out of order and the beast starts to look like a fish.

It suits a dark strand — rosewood, ebony, coconut shell — and pale beads make the dragon blur. The size is medium; set it on the outer wrist as the finish to the main beads and it carries a pleasant weight. It makes a better gift for an elder than for a younger wearer, since the meaning is straightforward. If the bore is small and a thick cord will not pass, change to a cord one size down rather than opening the hole. Ebony and coconut shell are the steadiest company for it; they hold down the yellow of the copper.

Dust gathers in the hollows, especially between the scales. Use a soft brush dry, and do not pick at it with a needle, whose point will leave bright scratches. Take the piece off for bathing; soap left in the seams dries to a white film. For long storage, wrap it in paper rather than stacking it with silver. Paper breathes where plastic does not, and is far less likely to trap damp until green spots appear.