Description
Guan Gong carved in relief in a rectangular plaque of black obsidian, leaning on his blade, a dragon coiled behind him. The stone is opaque, and that is what separates this piece from its twin in smoky obsidian.
Guan Gong was a general of the late Han, who died in 220, deified over the centuries and become one of the most present figures in the Chinese popular pantheon. He is recognized by his face, his long beard and the blade he holds, the guandao. His veneration runs through temples, shops and police stations in Hong Kong. I describe the figure and its history, I do not interpret it: that belongs to a living tradition.
The catalogue already sells this character, carved in a smoky obsidian. The difference is not cosmetic. Smoky obsidian is translucent: light passes through it, the relief reads by transparency, and the piece looks light. Black obsidian is opaque: the relief reads only through shadow, and the piece looks massive. Same figure, two objects that do not address the same people. Both are here.
The reservation is the price, and I would rather explain it. This version costs twice what the smoky obsidian one does, for two reasons: the plaque is larger, and an opaque black obsidian forgives no flaw in the carving where the translucency of the smoky one masks part of it. The reject rate is higher, and so is the finishing time. It is not a move upmarket, it is a real cost.
Crystal lore ties obsidian to grounding. Guan Gong belongs, for his part, to religious devotion and not to crystal lore. None of the above is proven, and no piece of jewellery heals anything. I have gathered separately what tradition attributes to obsidian, in the conditional.
- Genuine opaque black obsidian, rectangular plaque with carved relief.
- The same figure exists in the catalogue in translucent smoky obsidian: two opposite readings.
- An opaque stone masks no flaw in the carving, hence a higher reject rate.
- A chain of obsidian beads, not a metal chain.
What to know before you wear it
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The specifications
- Stone
- Opaque black obsidian, volcanic glass
- Shape
- Rectangular plaque, carved relief
- Dimensions
- About 50 x 35 mm
- Setting
- None, stone drilled and knotted
- Chain
- Obsidian beads strung on cord
- Gender
- Unisex
- Brand
- Bijoux Obsidienne
The same figure on two stones, two different objects
Carving an opaque obsidian and a translucent one do not call for the same work, and the difference always comes as a surprise. On a translucent stone, the light passing through softens the shadows, and a badly profiled hollow goes unnoticed. On an opaque stone, all the relief reads through cast shadow, and a hollow whose floor is not clean gives a dirty shadow that jumps out. So the floor of every hollow has to be gone over again, which you do not do on the smoky one. That is where the extra time goes.
This version is in the catalogue because people asked me for the figure in frank black, and the smoky one could not give it: it is a translucent stone, it will never be black. Two stones, two objects, and both were needed. Both are here.
On a translucent stone, a badly profiled hollow passes. On an opaque one, it gives a dirty shadow you see at once.
Obsidian does not mind water. The hollows of the relief hold dust: a soft brush under lukewarm water two or three times a year brings the contrast back. Never an ultrasonic bath. Cleaning an obsidian piece covers the rest.
