My artifact is my Chinese Jade Tiger necklace. Often times in Chinese culture, a person will have a piece of jade jewelry of their zodiac animal. My mother got me this necklace when I was very young, and it isn't just a symbol of good luck and fortune. I don't want to be cheesy and say the classic "it's a part of me", but I would say that it does symbolize a great part of my culture and it's a way to connect me to my Chinese culture. Every year when it's Chinese New Year, I take the necklace out of my bedside drawer and wear it for the whole day. My mother has made this a tradition in our household.
Each zodiac animal has their own character traits and the Chinese believe that people develop some of their character traits based off their zodiac animal. For me, I actually do think that some of my personality traits align with the ones that the tiger is supposed to display. A few of the main traits of a tiger are: being romantic, being sociable, having a successful career, and being wealthy. Generally, the tiger is commonly worn as a necklace or pendant because the tiger is a very powerful creature in Chinese culture. The tiger represents courage and heroism; the tiger is also supposed to be able to protect the owner of the jewelry from evil spirits and misfortune.
This represents a lot more than just a pretty piece of jewelry to me. To me, it's a reminder of my roots back in China and my family's culture.
Image: Jade Tiger Necklace, CCo Public Domain, Google Images.