Silver-plated White Copper Samantabhadra Horn Chain Necklace

Samantabhadra stands beside Manjushri in the Huayan trinity, one representing practice and the other wisdom. His mount is a six-tusked white elephant, the six tusks standing for the six paramitas, and in pictures that detail is easier to catch than the lotus in his hand. The Ten Great Vows come from the chapter on Samantabhadra's vows in the Huayan Sutra, a passage often recited in Han liturgy; many have read it, few can place it. In a group image of the trinity he is always on the Buddha's right, with Manjushri on the left.

Silver plating puts a layer of silver over white copper. White copper is already pale, and the plating makes it brighter and more even, so that when it first arrives it is almost indistinguishable from silverware. But it is plating and not silver through and through: worn for a while, the back and the places your fingers pass over most show the base first, a warm yellow. That is white copper, not paint flaking. How thick the plating is shows at the edges, which always give out first; that is the way of electroplating.

A bodhisattva face is easier to make than a vidyaraja's, and harder. Easier because the lines flow and there are no clenched teeth or glaring eyes; harder because it has to be calm. Relax the brows and it goes blank, let it smile and it goes vulgar. A good face has lowered eyes, a level mouth and a straight bridge to the nose, and it does not tire you. The lines of the robe should run smoothly and must not break at a turn, or the whole figure looks stiff. That turn is also where casting fails most often: the metal does not reach and a piece is missing.

For an elder this is a safe gift; everyone has heard the name, and nothing needs explaining. Plated pieces fear abrasion. Keep them out of a pocket with keys or coins, and do not wear one for housework, since a scouring sponge carries grit and leaves a fog on the surface. When the silver dulls, pass a silver cloth over it lightly, without pressure, because the harder you rub the faster it goes. Put a silver cloth in the box; it is more use than a page of care instructions.

Chain length and where the pendant sits depend mostly on the collar. With a crew neck, set it below the collarbone; with a V, it can go lower, the pendant landing at the point of the opening, where the line of sight runs clean. A fine chain with a heavy pendant is pulled into a straight line and makes the neck look thick; a slightly heavier chain reads lighter. These things are tried on, not calculated. Turn the clasp round to the nape; long hair tangles in it, and tying the hair up makes it simpler.