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Stunning Chinese glass bead from the Warring States era of ancient China. This blue-green glass bead features beautiful compound eyes comprised of six alternating blue-white layers. The eyes are slightly raised off of the bead, as can be seen in the side view of the bead. The greenish-blue base of the bead is slightly transparent, though the bead is too thick to actually see through. Interspersed across the bead are also small white dots. In places, there is some iron oxide (a.k.a. rust) deposits around several of the eyes, and near the hole on the top of the bead. Likewise, you can distinctly see the wound nature of the bead when looking from the top, which shows up as a small "ripple" in the glass. While the bead is somewhat worn, it is in truly excellent condition, with no missing eyes, cracks, or other major imperfections. Just a stunning example of some of the most sought-after beads in the world.
The bead measures 23.1 mm tall by 24.2 to 25.7 mm in diameter (depending on whether you measure the eyes or not). Overall, the bead is about the size of a U.S. quarter or a 2 Euro coin. Just a stunningly beautiful bead. The Warring States Period of ancient China covers the period from 476 B.C. until the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C. Beads from ancient China have a high Barium content and other chemical constituents makes the beads heavier than most glass beads. Of course, dating beads such as these is an inexact science, but this is our best estimate and consistent from what we've heard from other experts. One short note on what I know of the provenance -- this bead was part of a collection owned by a Taiwanese woman, and brought to the U.S. by a reputable dealer after she died. All of the beads in the lot were beautiful specimens. Price: $495.00 |
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