Copper Treasure-spitting Mongoose Three-hole Bead Bracelet Component

The treasure-spouting mongoose is a detail within Tibetan wealth-deity iconography: the deity holds a mongoose in the left hand, its mouth open, jewels tumbling out. Its prototype is the mongoose of Indian myth, and in Tibet the form was rounded out — a thick tail, the body lying in the crook of the arm. Many people take it for a rat at first glance; it is not the same animal. In a thangka the figure is only a thumb's length, and as a three-hole bead it is enlarged instead of reduced. If the bore sits too high, the body will look suspended, so check the front when you are choosing.

This piece lifts the mongoose out on its own and sets it crouched on top of the bead, head forward, mouth slightly open, forepaws resting on the rim. The three channels run out below and to the sides, and the body covers the junction between them. The back is arched with the spine clearly drawn, and the tail curls away to one side. Its position in sculpture is fixed: in the crook of the deity's left arm, head turned outward.

Copper. The planes of the body are pushed round with very few fine lines, so the piece works by volume rather than by detail. The mouth opens only shallowly, and a small bump inside stands for the jewel, which you will not see unless you look. The patina lies on the belly and behind the legs, with the spine left bright. The mouth has to line up with the front face of the bead; from behind, all you have is a back.

This subject is often bought as a set with a Yellow Jambhala pendant — one in the hand, one on the strand, both from the same line. Worn on its own it is not awkward, since the figure is small and does not shout. Dark beads steady it; pale ones make it look grubby. The forepaws carry three toes, and any more would crowd into a single lump.

Copper does not mind water; what it minds is sweat in the seams. There are two dead corners between the mouth and the paws where a brush will not reach, so use a puffer or a rinse in warm water. Do not go at them with a needle: copper is soft, and one jab leaves one dent. The colour is yellow, and the belly is the brightest part because fingers rest there. The spine is cut in a single stroke, and only even depth counts as steady work. Paired with a Yellow Jambhala, the two should be close in patina; one new and one old looks awkward. Worn alone, a single plain bead is enough and no spacer is needed. The dark inside the mouth is oxidation rather than dirt, so leave the toothpick alone. Store it wrapped; the tail is the thinnest part and bends under any weight.