| Yes, please send more photographs. According to what the curator of the National Museum in Taipei told me, which has the largest collection of Chinese art of any museum, the number of toes on a dragon can often indicate for whom the jewelry piece was designed. Of course, many years ago, only the Emperor could have a dragon; but at some point the rules loosened a bit. Afterward, a dragon for the Emperor had 5 toes; a dragon for a high court official, 4 toes; and for a rich businessman, 3 toes.
On one foot it looks like 5 toes to me...4 easily visible, with 1 a bit up the foot.
Truly a fascinating pearl we would like to learn more about.
Tom Stern,MD
Titan Natural Pearls |