Sold — Chinese Abacus

Sold for AUD 5,000. This piece is kept in the archive and is no longer available.

A substantial Chinese abacus pendant in 22ct gold, weighing 27.0g. Twin dragons frame six rows of movable beads, with small red accents at the eyes.

The abacus and its role

Known in China as the suanpan, the abacus is a calculating instrument with beads moving along rods. It belonged to the practical world of arithmetic and commerce; the Smithsonian records its long use as a computing device and in business. Read the Smithsonian’s history of the Chinese abacus.

On this pendant, calculation becomes ornament. The motif can suggest commercial skill, careful judgement and prosperity, but it should not be treated as a promise of wealth.

The dragons

Chinese dragons have carried associations with water, protection, imperial authority and auspicious power in different periods and settings. Here they frame and guard the abacus. Their exact intended meaning is not documented, so the reading remains contextual rather than certain. The Met discusses the Chinese dragon as a benevolent bringer of rain and life.

Potential provenance

The piece was recorded as made in China. No maker, workshop or production date is documented, so a more precise attribution cannot be made from the motif alone.

Gold and archive value

At 22ct nominal fineness, the 27.0g gross weight gives a theoretical fine-gold equivalent of approximately 24.75g, before allowing for the bead mechanism, accents, solder or other non-gold components. This is not a recoverable melt-value calculation.

• Status: Sold
• Sold price: AUD 5,000
• Origin recorded: China
• Material: 22ct gold
• Weight: 27.0g
• Motif: Abacus with twin dragons