White Copper Taotie Pattern Ring

Men’s and women’s versions are made separately, differing in width and curve: the men’s heavier, the women’s tapered. A pair doesn’t have to match exactly, as long as the pattern connects. Finger sizes vary too much for an open structure to cover, so it still comes down to ring size. The women’s is narrow, so the two eyes of the beast mask have to be smaller, which costs more engraving rather than less. The men’s is wide and the pattern can spread, which gives it presence. Put the two together and the lines should meet; that is what makes them a pair.

The name taotie comes from the Lüshi Chunqiu, which says the beast cast on Zhou bronzes had a head and no body, devoured people and, unable to swallow, destroyed itself. Song catalogues of bronzes took those two characters and applied them to the animal masks on ritual vessels. Archaeology now prefers animal mask pattern, and taotie is the older usage carried forward. The mask is a pair of huge eyes with a ridge of nose between, spreading to either side, and no lower jaw. On Shang and Zhou bronzes it sits on the belly, the most conspicuous place.

The opening is adjustable, relying on the toughness of the copper. Bend it a few times and nothing happens; bend it daily and it fatigues, and the two ends slowly stop meeting. Set it once and leave it alone, turning the ring on from the side of the finger. Keep the opening on the palm side, where it won’t press. Round the edges of the opening, because a square mouth scrapes. Fatigue is invisible until it becomes a crack, which is the reason not to keep adjusting. Fingers are thinner in the morning and fuller at night, so size in the afternoon.

Cupronickel is cool in summer and cold for a few seconds in winter, then fine. The silver version is the metal’s own colour; gold is a surface treatment, and long wear shows white on the edges, which is the process and not a flaw. Cupronickel is hard enough that the fine lines of the mask don’t slump. The inside of the band is polished so that it doesn’t rub between the fingers. On the ring finger gold looks bright; on the index finger it looks vulgar, which is the view from the counter. Small hands should avoid the wide version, which weighs the hand down and makes the knuckles look short.

The mask has dense lines and the grooves collect dirt. Dry-brush with a soft toothbrush rather than using water, since residual chlorine dulls the copper. Store it in its own bag instead of in a heap with other rings, where the patterns grind against each other. Hand soap and hand cream both work into the seams, so apply cream and wait for it to absorb before putting the ring on. Worn long, the pattern brightens, which is polishing rather than loss of colour, and an even brightening looks well. Treat a pair together, or one goes bright and the other dark.