Beschreibung:

China, 18th century. Composed of a hundred and eight pink tourmaline beads, intersected by four jadeite foudou (Buddha Heads) and a gourd-shaped fodouda of translucent apple-green color. Supporting a cord tassel adorned by a superb tourmaline pendant cast in gilt bronze, encircled by remnants of blue kingfisher feathers set in cloison wires. Provenance: From a private collection in Southern California, USA. Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear, few minuscule nicks here and there, some traces of use. Some of the beads with natural fissures, a few of which may have developed into microscopic cracks over time. Weight: 480 g Dimensions: Length 149 cm (the necklace), Diameter 12 mm (the tourmaline beads), 20 mm (the jadeite foudou), and 10 mm (the aquamarine beads), Size 4 x 3.5 cm (the pendant) The three jinian strands of aquamarine beads suspending two jadeite and one pink tourmaline drop, each with a gilt filigree mount below a seed pearl. The main pendant also terminating to an aquamarine drop with a gilt filigree mount below a seed pearl. Flanked by small agate coins. Qing court necklaces were an essential part of court dress, indicating both rank and seasons, with different gemstones required for different ceremonies. The materials and form of the mandarin chaozhu were strictly codified in the Qing Huidian Tukao, written in the early Qing dynasty, and also in the Huangchao Liqi Tushi, which was revised during the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766). Cf. a court necklace with amethyst, pink tourmaline and coral beads, included in the joint exhibition, Secret World of the Forbidden City, The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, California, and the Beijing Palace Museum, 2000, illustrated in the Catalogue, page 72, where the author provides instructions on how to wear the present necklace. Expert’s note: The tourmaline beads show a broad variety of color, ranging from a semi-translucent pale pink to a very deep burgundy as well as garnet colors of the more crystalline type. Every single one of these beads is different and has been carefully collected, shaped, bored, and polished to build this magnificent and highly important court necklace. Literature comparison: The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a related chaozhu in their collection, accession number 02.18.878. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related tourmaline necklace, also dated to the 18th century and with a near-identical tourmaline pendant set in gilt bronze kingfisher feathers, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 8 April 2011, lot 3246, sold for HKD 1,220,000, and another dated to the Qing dynasty at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, in Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite on 7 April 2010, lot 1511, sold for HKD 812,000. 清代中期碧璽朝珠 中國，十八世紀。朝珠主體由108顆粉紅碧璽製成，四顆翡翠佛頭，一顆半透明蘋果綠色葫蘆狀佛頭塔。以藍色絲絛與鎏金背雲相接，周圍環繞著鑲嵌在景泰藍絲中的藍色翠鳥羽毛。 來源：美國南加利福尼亞私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損，到處都有微小的划痕，有一些使用痕跡。 一珠子些有著天然脈絡，可能隨著時間的推移發展成微觀裂縫。 重量：480 克 尺寸：長149 厘米 (項鏈), 直徑12 毫米(碧璽珠), 20 毫米 (翡翠佛頭), 10毫米（海藍寶珠子), 4 x 3.5 厘米 (背云) 三串海藍寶石紀念上分別懸垂著鎏金累絲鑲嵌兩顆翡翠和一顆粉紅色碧璽。背云鎏金鑲嵌粉紅碧璽底部懸挂著一顆水滴狀海藍寶石。 文獻比較：一件相近的紐約大都會博物館藏朝珠，館藏編號02.18.878。 專家注釋：碧璽珠子顔色絢爛，從半透明的淡粉色到濃艷的酒紅色，以及結晶型的石榴石色。 這些珠子中的每一顆都各不相同，經過精心收集、打磨成型、鑽孔和拋光，才打造出這樣一條華麗且極其重要的品級裝飾。 拍賣結果比較：一件相近的碧璽朝珠，同樣為十八世紀，並有一枚幾乎一模一樣的粉紅碧璽背云，鎏金翠鳥羽，見香港蘇富比Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年4月8日 lot 3246, 售價HKD 1,220,000, 另一件清代朝珠見香港蘇富比 Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite 2010年4月7日 lot 1511, 售價HKD 812,000。