Ashmolean Camel Charm

This charming Chinese Camel charm with a rose-gold finish is a must-have jewellery piece for those who love antiquities.

For lovers of historical artefacts, the camel has been replicated in minute and delicate detail. Just simply clip the charm onto our special charm necklace or bracelet, and mix and match with other exquisite pieces from the Ashmolean's collections.

Each charm is sold separately, and you can find a link to the rest of the charms collection by clicking here.

Despite Camels not being native to China, portrayals of the two-humped camel are commonly found in Chinese tomb sculpture. The Bactrian camel was useful for carrying goods on the Silk Road between China and the West. Objects like this earthenware camel were placed in tombs of the wealthy in northern China during the Tang dynasty. These objects or mingqi, meaning 'spirit object' were placed in chambers within the tombs to protect the dead from evil. The large amount of mingqi in a persons tomb represents their wealth and status within society. The tombs themselves were very important to the ancient Chinese as they believed that when you died your soul split in two, one staying in the human world and the other to the spirit world.

The Bill Skinner Studio is a British-based jewellery designer who captures magnificent animals and natural subjects in exquisite detail. Skinner launched his namesake brand with a collection of remarkably charismatic and distinctive pieces in 2012. Inspired by the natural world, the team work from their studio in Kent and hand-carve every delicate piece to ensure that the utmost detail is obtained.

Credit: Earthenware figure of a camel, China, Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907). Earthenware, with brown glaze.