The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 23, 2025

Mandarin Chain Bead Necklace

1800s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911)
tourmaline, jade, pearls, seed pearls, seed coral and gilt metal
Overall: 120.6 cm (47 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Ralph King 1945.167
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The gilt metal was decorated with blue kingfisher feathers.

Description

Bead necklaces were worn by both high-ranking women and men, with a central string running over the person’s back and two side strings falling parallel to the necklace over the chest.
  • ?–1945
    Mrs. Ralph [Fanny Tewksbury] King [d. 1949], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1945–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hollis, Howard. "A Mandarin Chain." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 33, no. 3 (March 1946): 27. Mentioned: P. 27 www.jstor.org
  • Facing the Ancestors: Chinese Portraits and Figure Painting – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 12, 2019-February 2, 2020).
  • {{cite web|title=Mandarin Chain Bead Necklace|url=false|author=|year=1800s|access-date=23 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1945.167