Green Xipi Lacquer Bead Necklace and Bracelet Set

$4,160.00

Handcrafted to order. Leaves our bench by Thursday, 8 Oct

Complimentary shipping on orders over 300.0 USD

Made by hand — final sale. Cancel within 24 hours, before it ships. Shipping & cancellations

A bead necklace and a matching bracelet, sold together as one set. The necklace is strung with glossy black beads, gold-fleck and green-fleck beads, and three larger green xipi lacquer beads marbled with gold, the largest at the centre. The bracelet centres on a single turquoise xipi lacquer bead patterned with copper-ringed cells and small pieces of mother-of-pearl, set between dark flecked beads and black beads, and closes with a small gold-tone clasp.

The lacquer beads are built on sandalwood cores: coloured natural lacquer is laid on in layers, mother-of-pearl is inlaid, and the surface is polished back to show the marbled pattern. The necklace is strung on soft gold-coloured wire from Japan. Because every piece is made by hand, the colour and pattern vary a little from set to set, and photographs are for reference.

Photographs are for reference only. Each piece is made by hand, so its colour and pattern will differ a little from the one shown.

The story
Xipi lacquer is made by building up coats of differently coloured lacquer and then polishing them back, so a marbled pattern rises from the layers beneath. For this set the maker layers green and turquoise lacquer over sandalwood cores, polishes each bead back to its marbling and inlays mother-of-pearl in the luodian manner, most visibly in the bracelet's patterned centre bead. The necklace and bracelet come together and can be worn as a pair or apart, with glossy black and flecked beads between the marbled ones. The pattern comes from the layers themselves, so no two beads match and each set is unique; photographs are for reference.
Materials
Xipi lacquer
Natural lacquer (dàqī)
14k gold
Sandalwood core
Mother-of-pearl inlay (luodian)
Gold-plated hook clasp with ring
Strung on soft gold-coloured wire from Japan
Size: Necklace approx. 47.5 cm including clasp; Bracelet: 58 (inner size as listed by the maker)
Weight: Necklace approx. 49.2 g; Bracelet approx. 14.2 g
Technique
Coloured natural lacquer is built up in layers over sandalwood cores, mother-of-pearl is inlaid in the luodian manner, and each bead is polished back to reveal the marbled xipi pattern.
Care
Keep dry and away from perfume, lotion and heat. Do not leave in strong sunlight. Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Store alone in its pouch.
Shipping & cancellations

Complimentary shipping on orders over $300. Ready-to-ship pieces leave the bench within 3 working days; pieces handcrafted to order take up to two weeks. The date for this piece is shown above.

Cancel within 24 hours of ordering, as long as it has not shipped. Each piece is made by hand, so all sales are final: no returns or exchanges for a change of mind. Full details

  • Bead necklace and bracelet set in black, gold-fleck and green xipi lacquer beads with a turquoise mother-of-pearl bead, laid flat on an ivory background
  • Green xipi lacquer bead necklace with black and gold-leaf beads at the collarbone, and the matching bracelet on her wrist, worn with a linen shirt