White Copper Jambhala Pattern Pendant Necklace

The God of Wealth divides into civil and martial branches. On the civil side are Bi Gan and Fan Li; on the martial, Zhao Gongming and Lord Guan, and what stands in temples and hangs in homes rarely goes beyond these. This plaque takes the God of Wealth as its subject and frames him with a band of Chinese ornament — scrolling vine, ruyi cloud, key fret — so the face is never empty. The work lives in those border lines: a break, or a stroke that thickens unevenly, shows at a glance.

The day for receiving the God of Wealth is the fifth of the first lunar month. Old shops reopened that day, set off firecrackers, hung red silk, and the manager led the staff through a bow before business proper began the next morning. The custom runs in the north and the south with different details and much the same date. Those who keep him at home are mostly in trade, with the image behind the counter or on the diagonal from the door. Scale is not the point: incense, a lamp, clean water, kept up daily, beat an elaborate show twice a month.

The pieces marked gold carry a gold surface over a white copper base. They are not solid gold, and the buyer should know that going in. Gold is bright and reads from a distance, and stands out against dark clothing; the natural white copper is cooler and more reserved, which suits daily wear. Side by side, one looks like new money and the other like old silver. The gold layer is thin, and a fingernail leaves a white line, so don't pick at the face.

There are two families, necklace and pendant alone, and each comes in gold, large and small. The necklace version is ready to wear, with a fine chain and the pendant high on the chest; the pendant alone is for anyone who already owns a chain, and it also holds its own on a thick cord. Large and small differ in the face, a full step in size — a short neck looks cleaner in the small, and a wide-open collar can carry the large. The gap between them isn't great; if you can't decide, go by the collar you usually wear.

White copper doesn't need daily polishing. When sweat builds up, press it with a cloth, and skip wet wipes, whose contents mottle the color. The gold is a surface treatment and dislikes abrasion, so don't carry the pendant in a pocket with keys — once a corner wears through, the white copper underneath shows and the difference is obvious. Bag it when it's off; don't leave it open on a windowsill. White copper barely changes in dry air, but in damp conditions green spots come up.