Nicely detailed brass pendants depicting a cicada on a leaf. The intriguing lifecycle of the cicada makes it a popular symbol in mythology and folklore, with the earliest examples being found in China where stone carvings of the bug can be dated back to 1500 BCE .
After hatching from an egg, the cicada starts its life by burrowing itself underground and staying there in its nymphal phase for a period up to 17 years. Then suddenly, driven by its incomprehensible insect instinct, it surfaces, sheds its exoskeleton, transforms into the winged cicada and lives for only one month above ground in which it mates, lays its eggs and dies again.
Because of its lifecyle, in Chinese symbolism the cicada is deeply associated with the cycles of life, death and rebirth. It represents reincarnation, immortality and eternal life. A practice associated with this symbolism, is an old Chinese tradition of placing (jade)stone carvings of cicada's on the tongue of a deceased person.
These pendants are made of brass and are approximately 4 centimeters long and 2,3 centimeters wide. They come to us via our friends at Shaman Bazar. Next to the cicada and on the other side of the pendant, some Chinese characters can be seen. These are traditional wishes (commonly used in Feng Shui for example) for wellbeing and prosperity.
