January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
Welcome to the GemologyOnline.com Forum
A non-profit Forum for the exchange of gemological ideas
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:02 pm

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Japanese Pendant from c.1897
PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:46 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 3:48 pm
Posts: 707
Location: Vancouver, Canada
This is a jade pendant that belonged to my maternal grandfather. I was told he acquired it in 1897. Other than my aunt just gave it to me, I have no more information about the item.

Image

Image

I was told that my grandfather was semi-royalty, the direct male descendent of a lord who brought schooling to Japan in the 1600s and a bit of a spoiled playboy (that line is dying out with my uncle who's 95 and had no male children). He travelled first to the San Francisco gold rush and then headed north to settle in Vancouver, BC in the early 1900s becoming a Canadian citizen. He married my grandmother (an arranged mail-order bride from a good family in Japan I'm told) and opened several dry cleaners. Knowing the government's intention to round up and intern all people of Japanese descent, he managed to get permission to move the family voluntarily to Grand Forks, BC where they stayed until the mid-1950s. I'm not sure when he passed away - probably late 1950s. But all that is just an aside.

Anyone recognize the symbols on either side? I am assuming it came from Japan but given his tendency to travel it could have come from anywhere in Asia.

Thanks

-Allan

_________________
Allan Aoyama
http://www.omnifaceter.net <- Omnifaceter is back online!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 

All times are UTC - 4 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Gemology Style ported to phpBB3 by Christian Bullock