White Copper Zhakila Pendant

A hanging plaque and a spacer bead are two different things. A spacer sits inside the strand with a bead pressed against either face, so all you ever see is a profile; a plaque hangs alone on a cord with both faces on show, which means the back cannot be left to look after itself. This one is a tall, narrow plaque with a raised line around the border and the figure in the middle. The plaque began as an amulet, worn at the waist or on the chest, and only later divided into the decorative and the practical. Its proportions follow Tibetan protective plaques, and it sits in the hand like a small wooden tablet.

White copper is silver-white in tone, and the patina greys the hollows. There are two colourways: the yellowish one is warm, like a plaque that has been carried for years, and the whitish one is cool with crisper lines. The pattern is the same on both and the depth differs very little, so the choice comes down to colour.

The composition fills the face. The head takes the upper half, the crown and earrings are squeezed into the corners, the protruding tongue falls below, and the collar and garland are reduced to a few strokes. With so little area, the features can only be separated by depth: the bridge of the nose is cut highest and the eye sockets deepest. Seen from the side, the relief stands less than a millimetre proud. Of the five points on the crown only three survive; the other two were eaten by the border. The tongue is the thinnest passage and the likeliest to chip in casting, so look at its tip when choosing.

The plaque is lighter than a spacer and does not drag at the neck. A thin cord is the right choice; a thick one covers the head of the plaque and changes its proportions. Because the face is large, leave the neckline a little open, or the piece lies flat against the cloth and loses all its depth. If the hole sits above centre the plaque tips forward when hung, which is normal. Some people put it on a keyring, where the copper and the keys knock together and the corners round off within a short time.

White copper darkens with sweat, and the back, against the skin, darkens fastest. Wipe it once a week rather than waiting for it to go black. If the edge of the hanging hole is polished bright, that is the cord's long friction and does nothing to the piece. To slow the darkening you can put a clear protective film on the back, but never on the face. Store it flat, since pressure on the face leaves scratches.