White Copper Four Directions Pixiu Ring

Does a pixiu have to bare its teeth and spread its claws? Old pieces show that it need not. Many jade pixiu lie down, head turned back, mouth closed, in the attitude of something guarding. Ferocity is a later preference; to make the creature hold up at small size, jewellers often rein the pose in and keep only the outline and the eyes. This square ring takes the restrained route. A crouching beast needs its eyes raised a little; raised, it has spirit, and lowered it is asleep.

The face is square, the four sides straight and the corners rounded. A square arranges pattern better than a circle: four faces, each with its own place, so one beast can take one face or one beast can fill the whole. Worn, a square ring shows one flat face at a time and another only when you turn it, so the viewer has to move a hand, and that adds a layer of interest. The four faces share one set of patterns, so the first is cut and the other three copied from it.

The square has one difficulty: its four corners are empty, and a pattern that runs into a corner breaks off. The solution is to put cloud scroll or key-fret in the corners, joining two beasts so that the eye travels around. The body is cut shallow, one line high along the spine, four feet tucked under, the tail curled against itself. The mouth opens slightly and shows two teeth; a hint of ferocity is enough, and showing all of it is vulgar. The inside of a square band has to be ground to a curve, since a square bore leaves marks after long wear.

The cloud scroll at the four corners holds dust and also wears smooth first, because it stands highest. Clean with a soft brush, dry, and no needles. When the copper dulls, leave the dark in the hollows; the beast's outline depends on it. The edges are rounded off from a right angle, and one knock leaves a bright spot, so lay the ring flat when you take it off rather than standing it on edge. The corners collect sweat, and if green appears in the seams, touch it with a soft brush dipped in water.

A square ring takes up more room than a round one, and on slim fingers it makes the hand look wide, so choose a narrower version. White copper's cool colour suits a square better; a warm colour with a square tends to look hard. Wear it face outward, and have the beasts on all four faces turn the same way, so that from any angle the beast is moving forward. When turning the ring on the hand, hold the sides rather than the top and bottom, since top and bottom are the raised faces of the pattern.