Monkey Totem Ring, Sterling Silver

In China and Tibet, many noble families derive their ancestry from the monkey and are proud of such a totemic ancestor. It is believed that the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara came to the world in the form of a monkey who saved the giantess. Six first-born ancestors of all Tibetans came from her marriage. The Chinese, however, associate the monkey with playfulness and ambition.