{"title":"Dragons","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Chinese dragon was never the monster. It holds the rivers and calls the rain, and through them fortune and authority. For two thousand years wearing it was an imperial privilege and nobody below the throne was permitted to.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarved in jade, cast in steel, worked into Tibetan silver.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"guardian-dragon-head-pendant","title":"Guardian Dragon Head Pendant","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn the ridge of every old Chinese roof there is a dragon head with its mouth open, swallowing the beam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChiwen, and the job is fire. The head sits at each end of the main ridge with the jaw clamped over it, and \u003cstrong\u003ethe belief was that a creature belonging to water would keep the building from burning\u003c\/strong\u003e. Which is why it is always the head and never the whole animal. You do not need the body. The head is the part that watches, and the part that bites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorn at the front of the chest it is doing the same thing at a smaller scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo castings, and they are not interchangeable. One is heavier through the jaw with the mane worked in broad planes. The other is finer, with more detail packed into the same space, and it reads as a smaller object even where it isn't. Take the heavier one if it is going over a shirt, because broad planes read better at a distance. Take the finer one if it sits against skin, where you actually see the detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who wants the guardian at the front of them, pointed outward, doing the looking so they don't have to.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after stainless steel\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo maintenance at all. No plating to wear through, no tarnish, no reason to take it off for water. A cloth if it dulls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteel means it can be worn hard for years without ever being looked after, which is the practical case for taking the dragon in this material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e 316L stainless steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigns:\u003c\/strong\u003e Two castings to choose from\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength: \u003c\/strong\u003e60cm \/ 24.5in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon head, chiwen, the roof-ridge dragon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Waterproof, will not fade or plate off\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Silver","offer_id":52407250682158,"sku":"200001033:361187#60cm Chain","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold","offer_id":52407250780462,"sku":"200001033:200003757#60cm Chain","price":47.62,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/guardian-dragon-necklace-5.webp?v=1786511900"},{"product_id":"dragon-scale-bracelet","title":"Dragon Scale Bracelet","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnder the dragon's throat there is one scale that lies the wrong way round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nilin (逆鱗), the reverse scale. Chinese texts say a dragon will tolerate being ridden, but touch that one scale and it kills you. \u003cstrong\u003eIt turned into a figure of speech that is still in use: everyone has a nilin, the single subject you do not raise with them.\u003c\/strong\u003e Han Feizi (韓非子) used it to warn officials about how to advise a king and stay alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo a band made entirely of scales is carrying more implication than it looks like it is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey also move. The band is linked, so it flexes and shifts as your wrist turns and the scales catch light at different angles as they go. It behaves more like something living than a bracelet usually does. It closes with a toggle: the dragon holds a ring in its jaws, the tail end is the bar, and the bar drops through the ring to fasten it. Nothing about the closure is tucked out of sight, which is the point, because it is the part of the bracelet people look at first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who has found bracelets static and a bit dead on the wrist.\u003c\/strong\u003e This one does something when you move.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after stainless steel\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing to maintain and no plating to wear through. Linked bracelets can catch on knitwear, which is the one thing to watch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToggles are worth understanding before you order. The weight of the band is what keeps the bar seated, so the fit needs to be close. Measure properly and take the size that fits rather than the one above it, because a toggle worn loose is the only way this comes off on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon holding the ring in its jaws is the detail people notice second, once they have stopped looking at the scales.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e 316L stainless steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSizing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Measure your wrist and add about 1.5cm \/ 0.6in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClasp:\u003c\/strong\u003e Toggle, dragon-head ring with bar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon head with linked scale band, nilin (逆鱗)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Waterproof, will not fade or plate off\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"17.5cm \/ 7in","offer_id":52407253696814,"sku":"200000639:202637807;200001034:361180#Bracelet","price":75.22,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"19cm \/ 7.5in","offer_id":52407253729582,"sku":"200000639:201452416;200001034:361180#Bracelet","price":75.22,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20.5cm \/ 8in","offer_id":52407253762350,"sku":"200000639:201452728;200001034:361180#Bracelet","price":75.22,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22cm \/ 8.5in","offer_id":52407253631278,"sku":"200000639:1439;200001034:361180#Bracelet","price":75.22,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"23.5cm \/ 9in","offer_id":52407253664046,"sku":"200000639:2829;200001034:361180#Bracelet","price":75.22,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/dragon-scale-bracelet-3.webp?v=1786680043"},{"product_id":"imperial-dragon-ring","title":"Imperial Dragon Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe dragon was the emperor's animal, and Chinese sumptuary codes were specific about it. How many claws, on what garment, worn by whom. Five claws belonged to the throne. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat the creature actually commands is water and weather, and through them the harvest, fortune and rank. That is why the throne wanted it kept back, and the restriction is most of the reason a dragon still reads as authority now that anybody can wear one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis one circles the band without a break, cut in relief, so it reads from every angle and from the back of the hand as readily as the front. There is no front to keep straight, which matters more than it sounds on a ring you intend to wear every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dark channel behind it is doing real work. Relief cut into bare steel tends to vanish, because polished metal throws back a single sheet of light and flattens whatever is standing on it. Blackening the recess and leaving the raised parts bright is what makes the shape legible from across a room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo finishes. The steel is quiet enough for an office. \u003cstrong\u003eThe gold tone is not quiet, and is not attempting to be.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGetting the size right\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen millimetres is wide for a band, and a wide ring sits tighter than a narrow one at the same nominal size. Measure properly, and if you fall between sizes take the larger one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after stainless steel\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWaterproof, no need to take it off, nothing to polish. A cloth if it dulls. The gold tone is an ion coating bonded into the surface, so it holds up far better than gold-plated brass, where the layer eventually rubs through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA good first piece if you have never worn a ring and want to find out whether you will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e 316L stainless steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinishes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Steel, gold tone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBand width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon in relief, running the full circumference\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDetail:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blackened recess between polished rims\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Waterproof, will not fade or plate off\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSizing note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wide band, consider sizing up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Silver \/ 7","offer_id":52407254516014,"sku":"200000369:3434;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Silver \/ 8","offer_id":52407254548782,"sku":"200000369:699;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Silver \/ 9","offer_id":52407254614318,"sku":"200000369:350262;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Silver \/ 10","offer_id":52407254286638,"sku":"200000369:1583;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Silver \/ 11","offer_id":52407254352174,"sku":"200000369:100010420;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Silver \/ 12","offer_id":52407254417710,"sku":"200000369:1663;200000783:350853;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 7","offer_id":52407254581550,"sku":"200000369:3434;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 8","offer_id":52407254647086,"sku":"200000369:699;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 9","offer_id":52407254319406,"sku":"200000369:350262;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 10","offer_id":52407254384942,"sku":"200000369:1583;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 11","offer_id":52407254450478,"sku":"200000369:100010420;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold \/ 12","offer_id":52407254483246,"sku":"200000369:1663;200000783:350850;200007763:201336100","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/dragon-signet-ring-3.webp?v=1786947969"},{"product_id":"guardian-jade-dragon-protection-necklace","title":"Guardian Jade Dragon Protection Necklace","description":"\u003cp\u003eEven the mouth is drilled through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLook at the jaw. That row of teeth is not cut into the surface, it is cut clean out, and the background shows through the gaps. The same is true across the whole piece. This is openwork, which means the carver has taken the stone away from behind the design rather than carving into its face, leaving the dragon's body crossing over and under itself with nothing at all behind it. \u003cstrong\u003eEvery one of those openings is a chance to crack the piece, and there is no repairing jade once it goes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is why openwork costs what it does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon coils through its own body, head at the top right, tail wrapping back through the middle. It has real depth in the hand and reads differently from every angle, because the pierced sections open and close as you turn it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who buys carving as carving.\u003c\/strong\u003e Here the workmanship is the reason and the dragon is almost incidental.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after openwork jade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpenwork is more fragile than a solid plaque, because the pierced sections are where it will go if it goes. Don't drop it on a hard floor, and take it off before anything involving impact. Handled with that in mind it will outlive you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTechnically the most difficult thing to carve in jade, and priced far below what the same work costs anywhere it is made by name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural jadeite\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCarving:\u003c\/strong\u003e Openwork, pierced through, carved in the round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCord:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60cm \/ 23.5in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural stone, colour and marking vary piece to piece. Openwork is more fragile than solid carving\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52407260348718,"sku":"\u003cnone\u003e","price":75.23,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/guardian-jade-dragon-protection-necklace-2.webp?v=1787888898"},{"product_id":"coiled-dragon-guardian-pillar-statue","title":"Coiled Dragon Guardian Pillar Statue","description":"\u003cp\u003eA dragon that has not gone up yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat is what panlong means. Not a dragon in flight, but one still coiled on the earth, crouched and waiting, with everything it is going to be still ahead of it.\u003c\/strong\u003e The word carries the sense of curled, folded down, held in.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich is why the old phrase for a place full of unrecognised talent is coiled dragons and crouching tigers. The power is there. It is simply not up in the air yet where anybody can see it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo postures, and they are the same idea at two moments. The horizontal lies flat along its block with its head down over the front edge, entirely at rest, and heavy enough to hold paper down on a desk. The vertical has started to move: front claws hooked over the top of an upright block, body rising behind it, tail still trailing down the side. It takes almost no surface area for its presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe finish changes the object more than the posture does. Plain grey sandstone reads as carved stone and nothing else, quiet enough for a working desk. The gold accent version is a dark green body with the horns, mane, spine and claws picked out in gold, and it is a considerably louder thing to own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor a desk belonging to somebody who is not finished yet.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhere to place a coiled dragon statue\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEast or northwest by feng shui convention, which are the dragon's quarters. Practically: a desk, a shelf, an entryway, or beside a door.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSandstone is porous, so keep it off anything that might stain and dust it with a dry brush rather than a wet cloth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sandstone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Panlong, the coiled dragon that has not yet risen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIntention:\u003c\/strong\u003e Protection, and power held in reserve\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHorizontal size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 17 x 8.5 x 7.5cm \/ 6.7 x 3.3 x 2.9in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVertical size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 21cm \/ 8.3in tall, on an 11 x 9.5cm \/ 4.3 x 3.7in base\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinishes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plain grey, or dark green with gold accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Four, being each posture in each finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural stone, colour and texture vary. Dimensions may vary by up to 1cm \/ 0.4in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Horizontal","offer_id":52407382868270,"sku":"14:200006152#3","price":112.86,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Vertical","offer_id":52407382933806,"sku":"14:200006153#2","price":119.13,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Horizontal (Gold Plated)","offer_id":52407382835502,"sku":"14:200006154#4","price":174.4,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Vertical (Gold Plated)","offer_id":52407382966574,"sku":"14:200006155#5","price":181.93,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/coiled-dragon-guardian-pillar-statue-4.webp?v=1787214420"},{"product_id":"fortune-dragon-protection-necklace","title":"Fortune Dragon Protection Necklace","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Chinese dragon controls the water, and the water is the harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is the whole reason it stands for fortune. It is not the Western dragon that hoards gold and burns the village down; it is the one that brings the rain. Emperors took it as their personal emblem, farmers prayed to it in a drought, and it settled into the thing you wear when you want luck and you want to be left alone at the same time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe head is cast long and narrow with the jaw pushed forward, so it hangs as a vertical line rather than a lump. \u003cstrong\u003eLook at the horns.\u003c\/strong\u003e They branch backwards like a deer's antlers, and that is the quickest way to tell a properly drawn Chinese dragon from a fantasy one. The whiskers curl off the muzzle, the mane runs back between the horns, and the mouth is open.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAntiqued stainless steel, dark down in the recesses and bright along the raised edges, on a wheat chain heavy enough to carry the head without looking apologetic about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who wants a dragon that reads as Chinese rather than fantasy.\u003c\/strong\u003e Most steel dragon pendants are drawn as Western beasts, squat skull and no antlers, so the horns are the thing to check before you buy any of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStainless steel, so it will not rust, will not tarnish and will not leave a green mark. It can stay on in the shower. The darkened recesses are what give the face its depth, so wipe it with a dry cloth rather than scrubbing the shadow out of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the narrow dragon. If you want one with mass instead of length, the Guardian Dragon Head Pendant is the other shape entirely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stainless steel, antiqued finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePendant size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 40 x 18mm \/ 1.6 x 0.7in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChain:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60cm \/ 24in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chinese dragon head, long (龍)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Waterproof and non-tarnishing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52407386177838,"sku":"200000639:201683807#60CM;200001034:201673808#Steel With Chain","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/fortune-dragon-protection-necklace-1.webp?v=1788411278"},{"product_id":"ouroboros-dragon-necklace","title":"Ouroboros Dragon Necklace","description":"\u003cp\u003eCount the loops. There are two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon does not close into a ring. It crosses over its own body halfway down and comes back the other way, so what hangs on the chain is a figure eight. \u003cstrong\u003eOn a Chinese piece that is not a neutral shape.\u003c\/strong\u003e Eight is the number people pay extra for on a car plate and a phone number, because ba (八) sounds like fa (發), to prosper. Turned on its side it is also the sign for infinity. The pendant is both at once and it did not have to try.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe coiled dragon with its head brought round to its own tail is old here. The Hongshan (紅山) culture was carving jade ones five thousand years ago. Wherever the shape turns up it says the same thing: \u003cstrong\u003eno beginning, no end, and destruction and creation as a single motion.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who has had to knock something down to build the next thing.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is the whole content of the symbol, and it is a more useful idea than most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two tones do real work. Gold runs along the dragon's back and mane, antiqued steel down the belly plates, so at the crossing point you can still tell which length of the body is in front. Without that it would read as a knot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe steel needs nothing. It will not rust and there is no reason to take it off for water. The gold is a surface finish rather than solid metal, so keep it away from abrasives and it will stay as it is. A cloth if it dulls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stainless steel, two-tone gold and antiqued finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePendant size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 58 x 28mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60cm \/ 23.5in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coiled dragon in a figure eight, compare the Hongshan zhulong (燭龍)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Steel will not rust. Gold tone is a surface finish, avoid abrasion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52407386407214,"sku":"200000639:201683807#60CM;200001034:1433145302#Steel Only pendants","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/ouroboros-dragon-necklace-3.webp?v=1788249763"},{"product_id":"bold-dragon-head-ring","title":"Bold Dragon Head Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt covers the finger joint, and that is the entire proposition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dragon ring can be discreet or it can be seen from across a table. This is the second kind and makes no attempt to be anything else. People will notice it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Chinese dragon commands water and weather, and through them fortune and rank.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy this one if you want it noticed.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is the entire brief and there is no point pretending otherwise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after plated silver\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlated finishes wear at the points where they rub, so this is a piece for evenings and not for manual work. Given the width, allow a little more room than feels right when you set it, then leave it alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want the same dragon in something you can wear to work, the Chinese Dragon Open Ring is narrow enough to disappear under a shirt cuff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tibetan Silver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFace width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSizing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Adjustable, open band, fits most\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon head\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plated finish, avoid abrasion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52407387488558,"sku":"200000369:200001539;200000783:29#Dragon head","price":37.58,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/bold-dragon-ring-1.webp?v=1790845102"},{"product_id":"warring-states-dragon-pendant","title":"Warring States Dragon Pendant","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis shape is two and a half thousand years old, and you can date it by looking at it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWarring States (戰國) dragons are distinctive. Coiled tight into an S, hornless, more serpent than beast, with the body worked in raised comma-shaped spirals. \u003cstrong\u003eArchaeologists use exactly those features to date jade pendants from the period.\u003c\/strong\u003e It is one of the most recognisable forms in Chinese art and it looks nothing like the fierce whiskered dragons that came later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature is a jiao (蛟), a water dragon without horns. Younger than the full dragon in the folk taxonomy, and tied to rivers and floods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone who would find a modern dragon a bit obvious.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the version that predates all of them, and almost nobody wearing a dragon is wearing this one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after stainless steel\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo maintenance at all. Nothing to plate off, nothing to tarnish, no reason to remove it for water. A cloth if it dulls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it to somebody who knows Chinese art and they will place the period immediately, because it is legible in the shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stainless steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePendant size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 38 x 34mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength: \u003c\/strong\u003e60cm \/ 23.5in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptions:\u003c\/strong\u003e With chain, with leather cord, or pendant only\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coiled jiao (蛟) dragon, Warring States style\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Waterproof, will not fade or plate off\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52407387160878,"sku":"200000639:201683807#60CM;200001034:1433145302#Steel Pendant Only","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/warring-states-dragon-necklace-3.webp?v=1787716580"},{"product_id":"chinese-four-guardians-spinner-ring","title":"Chinese Four Guardians Spinner Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003eFour animals, one to each direction, and you are standing in the middle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChinese astronomy cuts the sky into quarters and puts a creature in each. \u003cstrong\u003eQinglong (青龍)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the azure dragon, takes the east, spring and wood. \u003cstrong\u003eZhuque (朱雀)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the vermilion bird, takes the south, summer and fire. \u003cstrong\u003eBaihu (白虎)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the white tiger, takes the west, autumn and metal. \u003cstrong\u003eXuanwu (玄武)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the black tortoise, takes the north, winter and water, and is the odd one, because Xuanwu is not one animal but two: a tortoise with a snake wound around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThey are not four separate charms. They are the whole horizon, and the point of having all four is that nothing gets in from any side.\u003c\/strong\u003e They have been painted on tomb ceilings, city gates and compass faces for two thousand years, always as a set and always in the same order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhich is why a ring that turns suits them. The medallions run around a rotating outer sleeve, so the guardians move through the compass as you spin it, and you can leave whichever one you want facing forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd you will spin it.\u003c\/strong\u003e A band that moves under the thumb is the reason a lot of people buy a ring like this and never say so out loud. It is quiet, it does not click, and it works in a meeting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween the medallions the band is filled with a flowered lattice, cut deep and blackened so it holds shadow. It covers as much of the ring as the creatures do, and it is what keeps the design from reading as four badges stuck on a plain band.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGetting the size right\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake your usual size and do not size down. A spinner needs clearance to turn, and a tight one stops doing the thing you bought it for. It is a wide band, so it covers more of the finger than you are probably picturing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep the moving sleeve clear of hand cream and grit, which is what slows a spinner down. The blackening sits in the recesses and is what makes the creatures readable, so polish the high points and leave the low ones alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen sizes, 7.75 up to 12, so it fits the hands that usually get told the ring does not come in their size. Worth knowing if you are buying it for somebody else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crafted from Tibetan silver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/strong\u003e Free-spinning outer sleeve on a polished inner band\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e The four celestial guardians in medallions, with a flowered lattice between them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e Antiqued, with blackened recesses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"7.75","offer_id":52442935918894,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:200001533","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8","offer_id":52442935951662,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:699","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8.5","offer_id":52442935984430,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:200000289","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"9","offer_id":52442936017198,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:350262","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"9.5","offer_id":52442936049966,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:200000290","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10","offer_id":52442936082734,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:1583","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10.5","offer_id":52442935787822,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:200000291","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"11","offer_id":52442935820590,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:100010420","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"11.5","offer_id":52442935853358,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:200000292","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12","offer_id":52442935886126,"sku":"200000226:350853;200000369:1663","price":40.09,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/four-guardian-ring-5.webp?v=1788256209"},{"product_id":"dragon-scale-ebony-protection-bracelet","title":"Dragon Scale Ebony Protection Bracelet","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery bead says dragon twice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce as a figure, carved in relief with its mane and claws. Once as a word: \u003cstrong\u003e龍\u003c\/strong\u003e, the character for dragon, cut into a roundel on the other side. Between them the whole sphere is covered in scales, so there is no plain wood anywhere on the bracelet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScales are the dragon's armour. That is a plain enough reason to wear a wrist wrapped in them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon is the animal of rain, and rain is the harvest, so it stands for fortune as much as for authority. It was the emperor's own emblem. On a man it is what you wear to be backed rather than to be noticed, and here you get the animal and its name on the same bead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn black wood all of this only shows in raking light. Indoors it reads as a plain dark band. Move your arm near a window and the whole surface comes up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor a man born in a dragon year.\u003c\/strong\u003e 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024, which makes it one of the easier gifts to get right if you know roughly how old he is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWearing it in\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEbony wants no water and no heat, so keep it out of the shower and off a radiator, and a trace of oil on a cloth brings the colour back if it ever looks dry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCarving:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon in relief on one face, the character 龍 in a roundel on the other, dragon scales over the rest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ebony\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBeads:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20mm \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"S","offer_id":67597558907182,"sku":"200001034:5740#2.0cm-1","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"M","offer_id":67597558939950,"sku":"200001034:5740#2.0cm-2","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"L","offer_id":67597558972718,"sku":"200001034:5740#2.0cm-3","price":43.85,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/ebony-dragon-scale-protection-bracelet-6.webp?v=1788424507"},{"product_id":"blue-water-jade-dragon-necklace","title":"Blue Water Jade Dragon Necklace","description":"\u003cp\u003eLook at the bottom right of the carving. The dragon is not chasing that ball. It is guarding it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe sphere with flames coming off it is the 火珠, the flaming pearl, and it is the one thing in Chinese art a dragon is never shown without for long.\u003c\/strong\u003e Depending on which century you ask it is the moon, a thunderclap, wisdom, or the whole of a person's luck compressed into a ball. What stays constant is the dragon's posture around it. Coiled, claws out, head turned back over the body. Every dragon in Chinese decoration is arranged around something it has decided nothing else is getting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is the reason this creature ended up on amulets instead of on banners. \u003cstrong\u003eA Chinese dragon is not a monster and was never the thing you needed protecting from.\u003c\/strong\u003e It brings the rain, it holds the rivers, and it keeps what it has been given. Carved on a plaque and worn at the chest, it is standing over whatever you have decided matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stone is blue water jade, the trade name for jadeite that runs grey blue and translucent instead of green. Hold it up to a window and the light goes into it and stops partway, which is the quality the name is pointing at. It is a cooler, quieter stone than the usual apple green, and it suits a carving this busy because the colour stays out of the way of the relief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor anyone with something worth standing over.\u003c\/strong\u003e A new business, a first house, a family that has just got bigger, or a year where you have decided what you are not letting go of. It is a serious piece to give somebody at the start of any of those, and the meaning is legible to anyone Chinese without a word of explanation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon is also the fifth zodiac animal, which makes this a straightforward birthday present for anyone born in 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 or 2024.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWearing jade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJade is traditionally kept on and not put away, on the belief that it settles into the person wearing it. The cord slips over the head with a pale jade bead above the plaque. Jadeite is tough but it is still stone, so take it off before anything that involves knocks, and a soft dry cloth is all it needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue water jade, carved in relief\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dragon with the 火珠 flaming pearl, over waves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCord:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold-toned braided cord with a pale jade bead\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e See the photograph of it lying in a hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIntention:\u003c\/strong\u003e Protection, of something specific\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural stone, so the depth of blue and the pattern of the cloudier areas differ on every pendant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52705139097902,"sku":"14:10#A","price":56.4,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/dragon-jade-protection-necklace-5.webp?v=1790062076"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.earthtibet.com\/collections\/dragons.oembed","provider":"Earth Tibet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}