S925 Silver Nine Dragon Sons Pendant

The Ming wrote most energetically on the nine sons of the dragon, and their lists do not agree, with argument even over whether the nine is literal or a figure of speech. Argument aside, the assignment of each son to a place is fairly consistent, arranged by temperament. This habit of handing out work by temperament fits old decoration on buildings and objects with an origin story, one at a time. Written down, the names differ by a character or two between versions, and the readings differ too. The more variants there are, the deeper the subject has settled among the people.

Qiuniu crouches on the head of a lute because it loves music; Yazi goes on the ring of a sword because it loves killing; Chaofeng stands at the corner of a hall because it loves danger; Pulau becomes the loop of a bell because it loves to sound; Bian guards the prison gate because it loves litigation; Suanni goes on a censer because it loves smoke and fire. All six are positions found on old buildings, not invented. The six have to face the same way, or a row of them goes crooked.

Made into pendants, the size shrinks and the marks have to be enlarged. Qiuniu's ears need exaggeration, Yazi's mouth corners need to reach its cheeks, Chaofeng's tail needs to rise above its back, Pulau's body needs to curl, Bian's eyes need to bulge, Suanni's mane needs to be thick. Miss that one point and all six look like the same dragon. The back is left flat, with two small lines naming the piece, which helps when telling them apart. The cord hole is at the top of the head: too small and the cord will not pass, too large and the pendant hangs crooked.

Of the six, Yazi and Bian lean fierce and few people wear them daily; Qiuniu and Fuxi are literary and safe as gifts; Suanni sits between, and either sex can wear it. Choose by which one you like looking at, not by ranking the meanings. If you really want the set, six on a board look better than six on a body. For a gift, ask about zodiac sign and taste first rather than choosing by your own.

The back of a silver plaque is flat and comfortable on the skin, while the high relief on the front rubs at clothing. With fine wool, mind the raised corners, which catch threads. Clean with a soft brush, not an ultrasonic bath, which fine corners cannot take. Let the recesses of the relief go dark; polish them all bright and the depth goes. Names cut shallow on the back will wear smooth in time, which cannot be helped. Pack the six separately, since in one bag they knock against each other.