Woman's neck ornament with medallion (shitoki) c. late 19th century

Editor: So, this is a woman’s neck ornament with a medallion, a "shitoki," from Japan, probably late 19th century. Looking at it, the combination of the dark beads with those bright turquoise ones gives it a really striking look. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see layers of cultural memory embedded within these contrasting colours and forms. The circular medallion, a prevalent symbol across cultures, speaks of cycles, of wholeness. But here, the dark perimeter edged with floral ornamentation hints at ephemerality, like the fleeting beauty of blossoms. Editor: I hadn’t thought of the flowers in that way. I was just seeing them as decoration. Curator: And the central metallic disk, punctured with three repeating shapes... Those aren't mere decorations either. Do they evoke any particular feeling, any specific symbolic associations, perhaps of celestial bodies, trifectas, or perhaps, ancestral relationships? Editor: Celestial bodies maybe. They look a bit like stars, or even mirrors. Is it common to use these kinds of symbols in jewelry? Curator: Precisely. Jewellery, especially when worn close to the body, serves as a potent visual language. Materials are rarely selected without thought. That’s why these materials are important too. Consider the colour choices in the beads: blue juxtaposed with black... perhaps mirroring sky and the depths. Editor: It makes you wonder what the wearer wanted to express. It’s almost like a coded message. Curator: Exactly! It suggests both social identity and personal aspirations; aspirations toward something perhaps unreachable in life itself. Thank you, this has provided new avenues of inquiry for me! Editor: This piece is so much richer now. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge about it.