Featured Very Heavy Bangle with Dragon Heads

I bought this today. I thought it was a bangle, but it's nearly 140 grams and it seems like it would be very hard (and painful) to slip it over someone's wrist. It seems very solid and good quality. Nonmagnetic. I am unsure what metal it is made of. I don't think it's a drawer pull, but what could it possibly be?

 

What is the size, barn? It is either a cuff bracelet (arm) or an ankle bracelet.
The dragons look like lions to me, a classic East Asian representation of a lion's mane, with all those curls.
Could we see more pics?

 

Sorry, yes.
Outer circumference of approximately 18 cm (22 counting the gap). Inner circumference of 13 cm, not counting the gap. Would probably be 15-16 with the gap. About 1 cm wide.

 

Definitely an arm cuff bracelet, my guess is from mainland SE Asia.
Most East Asians are smaller than people of European descent.

 

Thank you! Any thoughts on what metal it might be? I don't think it's silver, but the patina is nearly black.

 

'White metal'.
Maybe it is very low grade silver? Ca .500 fineness? Or even lower?

 

Those look like turquoise eyes; my money is on lower grade silver too. I'd take some cream silver polish and an old tooth brush to it and see what happens.

 

the vikings [new ones and old ones] also make/made similar designed dragon cuff torc arm rings or "oath rings"

 

i hope it is silver, love to see it after a clean up, looks like a base metal to me, is that remnants of plate of the surface ?

 

The example you showed is gorgeous, but it has strayed very far from real Viking designs. Most of the elements in it are Chinese and related Asian.
Although the bracelet is beautiful, it hurts me to see that it is sold as Viking-related. The Vikings had such a rich art tradition, that really doesn't need to be embellished with Chinese etc. And while their culture was very much adopt and adapt, they never ventured far into Asia.
Regulars on the forum know I love Asian arts as well as early European. But I appreciate both as beautiful in their own right and with their own identity.

Here is something on real Viking jewellery, just as beautiful as Chinese jewellery, but very different:
http://www.ancientpages.com/2015/12/29/beautiful-ancient-viking-jewelry-made-skilled-craftsmen/

This is a replica of a Viking bracelet found in Novgorod, Russia:

https://jelldragon.com/products/silver-viking-arm-ring-from-novgorod/
Great site for Viking replica and Viking inspired jewellery, btw.

The following are modern Viking-inspired bracelets which are much more true to original Viking art.
These heads are based on Viking finds in present-day Poland, the rope-twist for the torque proper is also more Viking than the Chinese-inspired torque you posted:

https://nordemporium.com/product/jomsborg-bracelet-xl-sterling-silver/

A copy of the dragon head bracelet from the History Channel's "Vikings" series:

https://www.craftycelts.com/product/viking-dragon-bracelet-medium-braid/

 

I polished the bracelet up a bit, and it is definitely silver-toned underneath. I'll post it once I finish cleaning it.

 

Yay!
In the meantime I found a silver sibling of your bracelet, Barn. Described as Tibetan:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/71213237831830442

 

Ooh, thank you! I'll follow that route and see what else I can find.

 

Found another similar one:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/478487...eTools&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lp.d.v2

 

Since yours is silver tone, it is probably silver and Tibetan. Antique Tibetan silver is usually ca .900, so a high fineness.

 

Totally not what I was expecting for a 1.5 euro purchase. I thought it was just very dark bronze before I started cleaning it.

 

Are you still worried that you are squandering your money?

 

Haha. Ask me again in a few weeks when I make another mistake buy.

 

Here is how it looks partially polished

 

Gorgeous!

The open mouths on yours are a feature I have yet to find, but the other parts make a very convincing case for antique Tibetan. So that has my vote.