Amethyst bead necklace, Han dynasty

Necklace with thirty-five amethyst beads, carved in the shape of a dragon and phoenix "龙凤" (Lóngfèng). Such decorative beads for clothing also have an auspicious meaning. They were traded along the Silk Road during the Han dynasty. They show patina due to their antiquity. Connected by a decorative cord (later).

References: Collection of the Hepu Han Dynasty Cultural Museum, with the title 'Amethyst beads from the early Eastern Han dynasty'.

Total length: 66 cm (approx.) Bead diameter: 1.7 cm; Total weight: 261 g

Provenance: Important collection of Tommy Lam, Hong Kong, since 1980.