S925 Silver Bixie Biting Sword Pendant

Bian is one of the nine sons of the dragon: shaped like a tiger, powerful, fond of litigation. Old books put it on guard at the prison gate, which is why the two characters for Bian later came to mean prison as well. What is wanted is the face that can hold a scene down, not any real power to judge. Courthouse gates are often carved with it on both sides, sharing the work with lions: the lion guards the door, Bian guards against quarrels. Painting it on a prison door takes the litigation in it, not any appetite for eating people. Bian's face is like a tiger's, but with a mane and a little more of a human look.

In the sword-biting form the sword lies crosswise in the mouth, point outward or down, the teeth closed on the blade. This combination is common on protective pieces among the people: the sword is the ward and Bian is the fierce beast, and putting the two together is meant to hold things down. The hilt shows outside the mouth and the ring at the pommel still takes a cord, so a pendant needs no separate fitting. With the sword across the mouth, the teeth must bite the blade and not merely the guard. On some pieces the sword draws out; on others it is cast in place, and cast in place is the stronger.

The blade is thin, which is where trouble starts. On a cast silver piece the section where blade meets mouth is the thinnest, and one drop can break it there. Hold the piece to the light when choosing and look for pinholes in that section, since pinholes are the weakest point under load. The upper and lower jaws should meet; if they do not, the sword floats in the mouth. If the back carries a reinforcing rib the blade will not bend easily, so turn the piece over and check.

Worn as a pendant, point down, not up. The plaque is small and the blade no longer than a finger joint, so it hangs out of the way. Drivers like it on the rear-view mirror, where it swings against the glass; better a short cord, or put it on the keys instead. The point is sharp, so it pricks when worn against the body, and thin clothing shows it. Keep the knot small, or the pendant keeps turning over.

Silver darkens at the edges first, and most visibly along the ridge of the blade. Wipe the silver cloth in one direction along the blade rather than across it, since crossing rounds the ridge and the sword goes dull. Use a soft brush between the teeth of the mouth, not a needle. If the blade has been pressed out of line, lay a piece of leather under it and push it back slowly with the pad of a finger. After wiping, hold it to the light: if the line of the ridge is still there, the cleaning did no harm.