Vintage Alice Caviness Chinoiserie Faux Coral Medallion Dragon Pendant Necklace

Vintage Alice Caviness Chinoiserie Faux Coral Medallion Dragon Pendant Necklace This is a superbly interesting piece of jewelry, perfect for any vintage jewelry collector. For starters, an almost identical design was used by both Arthur Pepper and Kenneth Jay Lane! Alice Caviness was primarily active from the 1940s to the 1980s, creating jewelry celebrated for its imaginative designs and exclusive distribution in high-end boutiques. I believe this necklace dates to the 1960s, a period when the Chinoiserie style—featuring motifs inspired by Chinese art—had a significant influence on fashion, including jewelry. During this time, designers like Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent incorporated Chinese elements such as calligraphy, cheongsam silhouettes, and Tang dynasty blue-and-white porcelain motifs into their collections. The pendant, molded in coral-colored plastic (possibly celluloid), depicts flowers, birds, and Asian-style calligraphy. It measures 2.5" x 1.75". At the top, a dragon figure (1.5" x 1") cleverly conceals a bail behind it. Originally, the pendant featured three charms, but only two have survived. The gold-tone textured double-link chain is 19" long and features a spring ring closure. Overall, the necklace is in very good pre-owned condition. It does, however, show some metal discoloration on the back and is missing one charm at the bottom.