{"product_id":"vintage-chinese-turquoise-hand-carved-immortal-shou-xing-bead-3","title":"Vintage Chinese Turquoise Hand-Carved Immortal Shou Xing Bead #3","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eThis vintage Chinese turquoise bead is a hand-carved figurine of Shou Xing, the God of Longevity. Recognized by his pronounced forehead and long beard, Shou Xing is depicted here with his hands clasped in front of his chest in a traditional greeting that welcomes a guest into the home and blesses them with longevity and good fortune. His forehead symbolizes the knowledge he has gained during his long life, and his flowing white beard shows that he a respected elder. His name means Longevity Star—shou translates to long life and xing translates to star—and Shou Xing is considered to be a star in human form. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eShou Xing is one of the three stars, and is associated with the Eight Immortals, a group of transcendent beings who are considered to bring prosperity and often appear in ancient art. Each of the Eight Immortals represents an aspect of the life cycle and human condition, such as purity, compassion, youth, longevity, poverty, and wealth. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eChinese turquoise is primarily mined in Hubei and Ma’anshan, and has been used in carvings and jewelry since the early Chinese dynasties. It is known for its rich sky-blue color with deep yellow or blue-green tones and dark brown spider-webbing. Many pieces of Chinese turquoise have flecks of dark brown matrix due to iron and oxide amidst blue shades that come from copper. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eWe have five of these Shou Xing beads available in our shop. Each one is sold individually; together, they make a cheerful collection of smiling faces. A hole has been drilled through from top to bottom, so the bead could be strung on a wire, or can stand alone as a figurine. This particular Shou Xing figure measures 1 1\/4” x 1” and weighs 18.6 grams. He is carved into a piece of turquoise that has a bluish-green hue and dark brown matrix across the face and along the back. The turquoise has a nice buttery feel to it. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThis would make a great gift to bring good fortune to a friend, or to place around your home as a symbol of luck. \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kirsten's Corner ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67884041306326,"sku":"11259","price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/4188\/2943\/files\/IMG_0447.jpg?v=1794427526","url":"https:\/\/kirstenscorner.com\/products\/vintage-chinese-turquoise-hand-carved-immortal-shou-xing-bead-3","provider":"Kirsten's Corner ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}