HUGE Tibetan 90 GRAM Antique Buddhist Hammered Solid Silver Peacock Hinge Bangle for Sale

HUGE Tibetan 90 GRAM Antique Buddhist Hammered Solid Silver Peacock Hinge Bangle For Sale

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HUGE Tibetan 90 GRAM Antique Buddhist Hammered Solid Silver Peacock Hinge Bangle:
$255.00

This is quite possibly the most substantial chunk of sterling silver in bangled form I've seen in my now many, many years. This heavy gauge, wonderfully bold bangle weighs in at a more than impressive 90 GRAMS. This bangle bracelet was hammered to form, created in (and culturally significant to) Tibet. I purchased thisHUGE Tibetan 90 GRAM Antique Buddhist Hammered Solid Silver Peacock Hinge Bangle in the early 80's through an estate sale upper state New York. The former owners, a husband and wife, were followers of Buddha. From what I could ascertain, this piece remained in the family for some time, having once belonged to the man's father (a Nepalese immigrant who made his way to New York City, New York).
I would like to discuss the piece from a material, design, and depictions standpoint - as doing so will allow me to better convey all that this antique piece is.
Materials:This bangle, as noted before, is solid sterling silver - weighing in at approximately 90 grams. The sterling silver bangle, through the years, has developed a beautiful natural patina through the process of oxidization. While it should be noted that this bangle cuff can be polished to look new (the silver is VERY responsive to a polishing cloth alone) I elected not to do so. Part of what make this piece so character rich is its natural patina. If one were to polish this bangle up to a reflective shine, it would almost instantaneously lose its fitting, age old look. Nevertheless, if you want a bright, gleaming look - this can indeed be accomplished with a silver polish, a cloth, and 10 minutes time.
Design:Of course, there is a LOT more that goes into this bangle than just its heavy 90 gram silver build. This piece was created by hand through the process of "hammer shaping," or - molding of precious metals with a repeated and calculated blow of a specially designed hammer. When done right, there is nothing more beautifully rustic than a "hammer molded" bangle. This bangle is THICK, and bold - far from those lightweight flimsy ensembles of silver you see here within the community asking a price tag of life and limb for what feels like aluminum foil when held in the palm. Because the silver is so thick, and because the piece is so substantial, it is incredibly solid. There is next to no give to piece. It will not bend or lose its shape unless serious pressure is applied. This bangle is hinged, and fixed to close/open by means of a solid silver pin. This pin does not entirely pull out, which means you don't have to worry about losing this pivotal piece. I've always believed that bangle bracelets look best bold, rather than when an artist tries to pull off the style delicately. Bold this bangle is... as its sheer size, and magnitude command one's attention. In short, there's no hiding this piece when you walk through the door in the morning with it fastened around your wrist.
Depictions:The designs present on this bangle are deceptively complex. It balances geometric, linear - with natural and flowing. The focal point of this bangle occurs at the front. Here, two stunning - high detail peacocks face one another - their plumed tails trailing off to the right and left sides of the piece. Look closely at the composition of the peacocks. The peacocks are raised in nature, the giving them a 3-Dimensional feel. These raised silver creatures are finitely defined - the attention to detail, and finite scope of the etchings something that seems to be a lost art in today's world of jewelry. To the right and left of the peacocks, arrows or triangles of sorts that lead the eye towards the focal point (the peacocks). These triangles are composed of hundreds of individually inlaid silver rounded 3-Dimensional bezels - every one of them perfectly intact. At the back, the bezeled geometric triangles continue, the points of each triangle just barely not touching. There is an incredible amount of depth to this piece that was created simply by manipulating texture. The design elements (geometric shapes, peacocks) are 3 dimensional in style, whereas the background is left flat and level. Additionally, the parts of this piece that are raised maintain an incredible luster and shine - whereas the background has been allowed to naturally oxidize. The contrast between those gleaming silver elements of this bangle, and the beautiful patina background is nothing short of otherworldly. There is an etched border on this bangle that rungs the entire length of the top, and bottom.
Peacock in Buddhist Faith:In buddhism, peacocks symbolize wisdom.Peacocks routinely eat poisonous plants without being affected negatively by them. Because of this, they are compared to the great bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is able to take delusions as the path toward liberation and transform the poisonous mind of ignorance, desire and hatred [moha, raga, dvesa] into the thought of enlightenment or bodhicitta, which opens colorfullylike the peacocks' tail.The mind of the sentient beings in this world is like a thick forest of desire and hatred. The pleasures and material possessions are like a beautiful medicinal garden. The brave-minded bodhisattvas, because of having realized the shortcomings of samsara, are not attractedto samsaric pleasures, just as the peacocks are not attracted to medicinal plants. The bodhisattvas, having the attitude of wishing only to work for sentient beings and not desiring any happiness for themselves, can utilise the poisonous thoughts of ignorance, desire, hatred and so forth in order to accomplish the works for sentient beings.
By eating poison, the peacocks' body becomes healthy and beautiful. He is adorned with five feathers on the head, which symbolise the five paths of the boddhisattva and the attainment of the five Buddha families. Anybody who sees a bodhisattva receives great happiness in his mind. The peacock's eating habits of eating poisonous plants do not cause harm to other beings. Similarly the bodhisattvas do not give the slightest harm to any other sentient beings. By eating poison, the colors of his feathers become bright and his body healthy. Similarly, by taking all problems and suffering upon themselves, the bodhisattvas quickly purify the mental obscurations and develop their mind quickly, attaining higher and higher realization. Particularly peacocks symbolize the transmitting of desire into the path of liberation. Therefor, they are the vehicle of Buddha amitabha, who represents desire and attachment transmuted into the Wisdom of Discriminating Awareness.
Overall, this is a stunning antique of the Tibetan world.. a serious, heavy gauge work of hammered sterling silver. Additionally, this is not just an "aesthetics alone" piece. The implications of the bangle's depictions make this piece a spiritual one... one that is sure to bring you, and the ones you love, happiness in the years to come.
Weight: 90 gramsSize: This cuff is sized to about an 8.25 Inch wrist.