This interesting necklace is made with an mammoth ivory netsuke that is the fisherman with his fish and an antique ivory poem bead with red flowers etched on one side and the poem etched on the other.  Completing the necklace are 12 mm to 15 mm black onyx beads, a beautiful red hand blown glass bead, a carved red cinnabar bead, a carved mammoth ivory dragon and long life bead, some thin red African glass Tribal beads and carved bone beads.  The necklace is 20 1/2” around and is finished with a large 18k gold vermeil hook clasp.

The netsuke is beautifully carved.  His robed is etched with a colorful floral design similar to the flowers in the ivory poem bead.  He is 2” long by 1 1/8’ wide.

A fisherman is one of the four basic occupations:   fisherman,  woodcutter, peasant and the scholar.  The fish is symbolic of abundance, prosperity, wealth and persistence.  It is also believed to represent an advantage in business. 

The netsuke is a miniature carving, usually less than two inches high, created by Japanese and Chinese artists for over three hundred years.  They portray every aspect of their life and culture, as well as characters from Japanese folk stories.  These carvings were traditionally used to prevent the cord attached to a gentleman's medicine box or tobacco pouch from slipping through the belt of his kimono.  Today, they are highly collectible works of art.  Traditionally, netsukes have been carved from mammoth and elephant ivory, ebony, fossil walrus tusk, mahogany, rosewood and hippopotamus tooth.  The netsukes, often signed by the artist, are getting harder to find as the detail in each piece takes patience and time and the younger Chinese are not so interested in pursuing this art form. .  Many of these pieces are displayed in museums and demand high prices at art auctions - from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand depending on the quality of the carving and the artist.

The dragon is the imperial emblem of the Emperors in China, especially from the from the Han period where their coat of arms shows two dragons fighting for the fiery pearl.  The dragon is a supernatural creature and is the symbol of power, strength, wisdom and goodness.  It represents the utmost in accomplishment: good luck and a successful life. It is also believed to be the guardian of hidden treasures.  It represents the spirit of growth and change.

Mammoth Ivory comes from tusk of the extinct mammoth elephant that lived on the Earth  from about 4.8 million to 4,500 years ago (Pliocene era). Because they are extinct they are not endangered and therefore, are legal and save the African elephant.  The artisans that carved elephant ivory are now carving mammoth ivory that is recovered in Siberia. Using mammoth ivory encourages the preservation of the African elephant.

THIS ITEM WILL NOT BE SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.