Glorious Antique Georgian Hand Carved Imperial Chinese Hediao Necklace

Regular Price
£4,050.00
Sale Price
£4,050.00
Regular Price
£4,500.00
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An incredibly beautiful survivor circa 1820, in the style so desired at the time, nine gentle oval panels delicately hand carved with Chinese scenes lay around the base of the neck joined by swags of the finest hand made belcher chain to a 15 inch finished length. Known as 'Hediao', the art of carving pits or nuts has very ancient roots in China and is highly regarded as an art form. This extraordinarily charming example would most likely have been bought by a wealthy European as a souvenir whilst travelling on the 'Grand Tour' and set as a necklace once home. At the time country house living was de rigour and fashionable gatherings gave these lucky ladies the chance to wear their latest treasures.  

A rare example of Georgian period Chinoiserie depicting four Sages in quiet contemplation and scholarly pursuits, they are shown in differing traditional Chinese settings on each panel. The intricacy of design is astounding, the level of workmanship is quite astonishingly fine and the time and care which has been lavished on it's creation is something which it is hard to imagine undertaking nowadays. The metal is rich golden 15ct gold, skilfully spun into floral frames of cannetille which match the lightness of the carved ovals so exquisitely, and in addition there is a separate matching pendant which can be worn on a chain or ribbon for a less formal daytime look, and all is boxed its original midnight purple velvet lined case. 

We don't know of another such piece surviving today and so regard her worthy as a museum piece. 

For scale, the panel sections measure 3cm by 2cm. A couple of the panels have small damage in the form of the loss of a head to two of the figures but this is very hard to spot and in no way depreciates the beauty or wearability of this wonderful specimen. 

Read our blog post about this awesome piece of history. 

If you'd like to pay for this piece in instalments, our Layaway Terms can be read here. 

Most of our rings can be adjusted to fit for free, this can be done on purchase by making a note in the order form if you know the size, or at a later date if it is a gift. You can download our handy ring sizing guide here, but don't hesitate to contact us if you need further help with this. If visiting us size adjustments can usually be done in around an hour-ish. 

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Payment is made securely through Shopify with a credit or debit card, or alternatively via bank transfer, Paypal, cheque or cash. Our telephone number is 01273 326618. 

Once payment has been received, you will receive an email confirmation of your order and we will begin to arrange delivery of your purchase.

All items come with a presentation box and items over £500 with an insurance valuation. In the rare instance that the original box is available, this will be included. We can also giftwrap your special purchase.

Returns or exchanges are simple, should your purchase be unsuitable for any reason.

Delivery of your precious items...

UK Delivery

Posted by insured and trackable Royal Mail ‘Special Delivery’. Guaranteed for the next day after posting.

International Delivery

Outside of the UK delivery costs £12.50. We use Royal Mail Tracked and Signed, but we often upgrade to FedEx courier for free.

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All of our items can be viewed in our shop in Brighton Lanes, so if you'd like to order and pick up just let us know...