White Copper Dragon Relief Necklace

The painting of dragons has a nine-resemblances mnemonic: horns like a deer, head like a camel, eyes like a hare, neck like a snake, belly like a clam, scales like a fish, claws like an eagle, pads like a tiger, ears like an ox. The lists differ slightly from writer to writer, with people adding and dropping, but the sense is the same: the dragon is assembled, taking the best of a hundred beasts, and is not any one real animal. Mnemonic aside, proportion still decides the drawing; a heavy head and a light tail look wrong. Nobody counts the scales, and old paintings have no fixed number.

The dragon’s shape settled after the Song into three sections and nine resemblances: antlers, snake body, eagle claws. Yuan and Ming dragons are fierce, with thin necks and claws spread wide; Qing dragons have broad foreheads and fuller bodies, the force drawn in a little. Which line a dragon plaque belongs to can be read from forehead and claws without asking the date. The later manner took the influence of porcelain painting, craftsmen following official kiln patterns. Five claws are rare in folk work, four is the norm, and there was an old rule behind that.

Relief dragons coil on the plaque in three layers: the head highest, the body next, the clouds shallowest. The scales overlap one on another, ordered from tail to head, and even ordering is what keeps them from looking a mess. The five fingers of each claw must separate, especially on the claw that grips the pearl; blur the claws and the whole dragon loses its nerve. Lift the clouds in shallow relief: they support the body and fill the empty space of the face. Where the body turns, a groove has to be left; without one the dragon lies flat against the plaque.

A dragon plaque has area, so the chain has to carry it. A box chain with heavier links or a Chopin chain will do; a fine curb chain under it looks top-heavy at once. The clasp goes at the nape; if you cannot fasten it yourself, turn it to the side, close it, turn it back. Go a little long so the plaque sits at the chest — short and it rides on the collarbone and jabs when you look down. Men’s and women’s versions differ by a length; measure against the collar you usually wear before buying.

This subject draws more men, though women wear it too, depending on presence. It looks well over a black turtleneck or a dark blue shirt, and busy prints make it messy. In folk usage the dragon is auspicious and also a sign of power; when giving one, do not bring up the power part, since it invites the wrong thoughts. For a friend in their zodiac year it is a ready-made occasion. When someone buys it for a recent promotion, I generally add a word: a dragon is fine, just do not overstate what it means. Before choosing, look at what colours the person actually wears — more use than checking the zodiac sign.