Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

The only character I can read is "Da..."

Does the inscription translate to the name of a shop, perhaps?

The necklace itself seems very 70s-80s, but if anyone has an opinion on that as well, I'd be happy to hear it.

Tianjin #1 Friendship Store

The imprinted characters read from the left in the Western style in two lines as:

天津市第一
友谊商店

Tianjin Shi Diyi
Youyi Shangdian

Tianjin Municipal No. One
Friendship Store

According to the online MDBG English-Chinese Dictionary, these PRC Friendship Stores were state-run and originally intended for foreigners, diplomats, etc. They specialized in selling imported Western goods and quality Chinese crafts. I might add that they were one of the few places where tourists could spend the scrip that Chinese official money-changers handed out in exchange for foreign hard currencies in the early post-Gang of Four era (end of the 70s-early 80s).

Cheers,

Bill H.

so this intact set provides evidence that a mid-20th century vintage is not correct, that this type of jewelry actually dates from circa 1960s-70s and later.

These necklaces, I have heard, used to be quite expensive.

According to this Wikipedia.org article, the Chinese Friendship Stores came about in the 1950s, so a little wider dating spread may be warranted. The article talks about the scrip certificates in lieu of cash too.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :Chinese Friendship Stores

I have the remains of a necklace that a Russian woman purchased during the 1950s while residing in China, possibly at a Friendship Store.

Still not Art Deco tho...

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |