Lot Essay
Also known as chao zhu, these necklaces represent an integral part of Qing court dress. Depending on the rank of the wearer and the occasion, the materials used were strictly prescribed. Composed of 108 main beads, an auspicious number linking the chao zhu's origins to the Buddhist rosary, four larger 'Buddha head' beads, as well as subsidiary pendants, the materials used ranged from Eastern pearls (for the emperor's use exclusively) to jade, coral, amber and other semi-precious stones, which were often made of glass imitations of more precious materials, as can be seen in the following lot, where jade is imitated.