Posted 2 years ago
valentino97
(720 items)
Recent $3.00 online purchase is this beautiful (.5" deep/wide 2.5" opening) bangle. Cinnabar is a toxic mercury ore and was applied in layers to wood then carved in gorgeous designs for hundreds of years in China and Japan. I have done some research and my bangle seems to fit best around 1950's, in a deep rich red. I cleaned it somewhat but still years of dirt in the grooves. Older cinnabar is a deep red with deep intricate carving, sometimes the reds tend towards a dark rusty red. I don't think it's dangerous unless broken or somehow ingested. Items should be kept out of harsh sunlight and stored away fron dust (OOPS!, well I moved everything.)
Newer cinnabar is usually a brighter color. It's not as deeply carved, usually machine done and it is a safe polymer resin. In pic 3 I show examples of newer. The 1.25" wide bangle has a duck and wave pattern. Very sweet, purchased in 2005. I bought the narrow one in San Francisco in the 1980's. I also ha e a dozen thin black and red bangles with thin metal base inside. Definitely resin.
Cinnabar lacquer quality and prices are all over the place. Anyway, I was very happy with this bangle and hope you enjoy too.
4/4/2019
Thank you Broochman for your nice comment. I was SO excited, I knew it was a nice older item. The seller listed it as wood. Yes, I agree - no better feeling than finding it at the rock bottom price.
Lovely intricate carvings, it's a gorgeous bracelet and looks great with the others - thanx too for the cinnabar explanation, great info
When seeing the hand, the first thing that popped in my head was 'Thing'! From The Addams Family!! Go figure! Lol!!
Thomas.
Thank you Jenni for your nice comment. It looks (and sounds great) with my black carved bakelite bangle from North Carolina....a nice quiet "clunk". And I love my duck bangle with the waves. I bought it after I got home from China because most cinnabar items there were crap or priced too high. So I guess the duck bangle is my souvenir from the amazing adventure in China....
Lovely pieces and I especially like the hand, in it's rather morbid way it's sculpted so well it looks like it had been grasping at something?!
Thomas, yes Hannah is the female Addams Family Thing. She does a great job showing off my jewelry. Sadly a retail chain called Charlotte Russe closed this month. I tried to buy the manikin hands I saw at their liquidation event, but they wanted to sell whole manikins for $65. It's very tough for me going into Macy's or JCPenney and seeing their discarded displays and manikins. I have tried but they won't sell. I hope someone is buying and they aren't ending up in a landfill.
Lauren, I found this hand at Round Top, Texas a few years ago for $2. I use her in a lot of my posts and she doesn't look so creepy palm side up. LOL.
Beautiful bracelet, but it's the "fat" one in the middle my eyes went too!!
Wowzer, that is an absolute glorious piece of art!
Seriously, Mary...my favorite color too!
Eileen thank you for your comment - really, you liked the duck and waves best? It is pretty darn great I agree. Cinnabar lacquer comes in other colors too, but red is the best. I like black as well, but it doesn't shout like red does. Thank you dear!
What a beautiful color! Nice find!
Thank you MrsT for your nice comment. I love red!
Thanks friends for your loves: aura, Kevin, Fort and Hel1