RARE Ancient Antique African Asian Trade Bead Silver Mesopotamia Amulet Necklace

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

RARE Ancient Antique African Asian Trade Bead Silver Mesopotamia Amulet Necklace:
$9898.00

A VERY RARE,UNIQUE & ONE-OF-A-KINDAUTHENTIC PIECE OF ANCIENT HISTORY...
Mixed Ethnic African Tribal & Asian Trade Bead Necklacewith Hand-Forged Sterling Silver Mesopotamian Amulet Pendant
This exceptionally rare Trade Bead necklace is an authentic collective piece of genuine ANCIENT history that has been made into wearable art. A mystical collection of beautiful and very rare beads (and otherantique/vintage artifacts) that is full of history and made into thisunique, richly colored ethnic necklace, with some beads that date back to over2,000+ years ago. They range from the Phoenician, Islamic, Roman & Byzantineeras and were found in such places from across the Middle East, West Africa andAsia.Necklaces made withglass, gems and stoneswere popular during that period.

The mixedcollection varies from African and Asian \"Eye\" beads, Tibetan Dzi, Blue Lapis Lazuli, Red Coral, Venetian Carnelian, Serpentine Amber, Azurite, White Crystal, Turquoise, Liuli Glass, Sea Glass, Agate Stone, Fossil Bone, Gold \"Spoon\" Charm, Several Bronze Charms & Various Sterling Silver Charms.

If you knowwhat ancient trade beads are then you know what you are looking at...a highly valuable genuine antiquity. Someof the beads on this necklace date back to pre-1400. Imagine the history ofthese pieces and what stories they hold. Some beads have seen their way acrossthe Silk Road trade route of Asia, to the deserts of the middle east and the mediterranean. Besides it being a captivating accessory, it certainly makes a very interesting conversation piece! This truly is anamazing collection of beads that took decades to collect and puttogether. Some of theindividual beads on this necklace are worth well over $2,000-$4,000 each, and themajority are in the $500-$1500 range. The appraisal is documented as being worth up to $75,000 or possibly more depending on the market and thecollector. I believe it is priced fairly, especially for one-of-a-kind ancient artifact art. As with any \'priceless\' art,it will certainly be appreciated and treasured by the new owner, regardless of price.Measurements: Thenecklace measures about 12” from tip of pendant to end of clasp (when claspedtogether) and a total of 22.5” inches in length and the pendant measures1 2/8” inch in diameter
Total Weight:2.6 oz/ 70 grams
Condition:These beads and baubles have traveled at least three continents over thousands of years, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of being so old and the patina attests to their age and extensive use.THE PENDANT:
This mystical sterling silver pendantis believedto be a magical good luck amulet of the God Enki/Ea, a Mesopotamian God that Sumerian texts depictthis deity as a creator and protector of humanity and a God of love, wisdom, magicand incantations. It was believed that he resided in the ocean under the earthand is one of the three most powerful gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, alongwith Anu and Enlil. He was a favorite God amongstdiviners andexorcistpriests as he is the ultimate source of all ritual knowledge used to avert andexpel evil. Ea was patron of the arts and crafts, and all other achievements ofcivilization. His connection with water meant that Ea was also the patron deityof cleaners.
This pendant is believed to be dated from the Mesopotamian periodand was hand cut, hammered, domed and oxidized. It measures 1 2/8” inch in diameter. Closure fastens with a large, fancy hand forged sterling silver hook-in-eye clasp.THE BEADS:

Ancient AfricanEye Trade Bead (3rd from right of pendant): Highly valuable and extremely rare.Notice the slight iridescence of a silvery gold shimmer patina. This effect iscaused by a chemical decomposition of the glass due primarily to prolongedcontact of the object with moist and acidic soil
Ancient Roman Eye Bead (black and brown criss-cross and white \"eyes\")
Extremely RareMauritania \"Scorzalite\" Bead (Large Deep Blue Cylinder Shaped Bead, Approx. 1\" Long) From Bolivian Pre Columbian Peruvian Chavin Culture - Dating from 3000BC upto 1000AD - Considered to BeAmong the Earliest Glass
TranslucentWhite Banded Agate Bead (4thbead up on left side) – Milky whitehexagon shaped with white band stripes going through
Rare BandedOrange & White Agate Locket (approx. half way up on the right) – Triangularshape, flat banded agate bead is from the Parthian or Sassanian Empire (550 BC-642 AD), and is found in Bactria, Afghanistan
4 Rare Tibetan/HimalayanMosaic Red Coral Beads (1 large piece on left almost halfway up, 2 smallercoral pieces that are flat & triangular shaped and 1 tiny round one onright side almost halfway up) - VERY rare and highly valued at $1,800 per gram.These rare coral beads have been passed down through the years by Tibetans.Coral is highly prized in the Himalayan regions and coral with gaps, fissuresand cracks were often filled with a non-sticky tar-like wax and pitch mixturecalled lakh. Sometimes smaller pieces of coral were also added to give theappearance of a complete and much more uniform shaped bead. Each bead is trulyunique and Mosaic Coral beads are very rare and hard to find today, especiallythe large piece, for its size and beauty. Approximate Dimensions of Large Piece:23mm Length x 10mm wide
Ancient Roman Azure Bead(Large Blue Round) Made in the Roman Empire Era Approx. 2,000 Years Ago
Ancient Egyptian Small Blue/Green Glass Beads
Black &White Dotted Gabri Glass Beads - Black Gabri pate de verre excavated beads fromthe early Islamic period, 7-10th century in Afghanistan
11 Blue DjenneGlass Beads from Mali – Tiny, flat bright blue color
Ancient YellowCitrine Glass Spindle Whorl Bead (upper right side) - From Roman Period 100-300AD
AntiqueNepalese Amber Bead (4th bead from left of pendant) - Clear/Reddishorange round bead. Sourced in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal
AncientLapisLazuli Beadfrom Mitanni (AState in Northern Syria) Dating From 1500BC to 1300BC
Antique BurmaBuddhist Amber Mala Bead (top left side) – Clear/Reddish orange
Burmite Amber Buddhist Bead - From Northern Burma - Circa 18-19th Century
Ancient Green Jasper Beads
Ancient JetStone Beads: Period: Indus Culture 3000 - 1500 BC to 1000 AD -Origin: Larger India(Now Afghanistan)
\"Dead Camel\" Jasper Stone (peach/orange & white triangular shape)
Tibetan Amber Resin Beads (very old, pre-1400)
HandmadeAfrican Silver Mali Hand-carved Clay Beads
Rare GenuineAntique Natural Tibetan Turquoise Stone
OldEthiopia Africa Brass Heishi Trade Beads (tiny little flats brass beads)
Very Rare AncientMauritania/Mali Excavated Blue Islamic Bead(Translucent Blue Glass Bead)
Jatim Bead (Tealand Green Bead)
Aqua Apatite Gemstone(Bright Aqua Teal Blue)
Silver Vintage Bali Bauble Beads (made of 925 Sterling Silver)
Tibetan Amber Mala
Ancient Roman Amber (Small Round Transparent - Spotted)
Green Amazonite Bead - Found in West Africa, Republic of Mali(Long Jade Green Bead)
Ancient PreColumbian Tiwanaku or Tiahuanaco Indian Blue Sodalite Tube Beads with Shiny Surface
Clear Ambassador Bead
Ancient Morfia Bead From Fustat (Cairo, Egypt)
Anasazi Turquoise (Early Spanish Glass)
Mali DigTradewind Carnelian

Please Note: For months I have researched, met with appraisers, antiquitiesspecialists, etc. and gathered as much information on the beads (and baubles) on the necklace as I could. However, there may be missing information on some of them. Therefore, if you happen to have any knowledge...please feel free to share.Additional Informationon Trade Beads:
The term \"Trade Beads\" typically applies to beadsmade predominately in Venice and Bohemia and other European countries from thelate 1400s through to the early 1900s and traded in Africa and the Americas.Many of these beads have been attributed to being made in Germany, France andthe Netherlands as well.

Theheyday of this \"trade\" period was from the mid 1800s through theearly 1900s when millions of these beads were produced and traded in Africa.The Venetians dominated this market and produced the majority of the beads soldduring this time. The J.F. Sick and Co, based in Germany and Holland was one ofthe largest bead brokers/importers during this period. Moses Lewin Levin was abead importer/exporter who operated out of London from 1830 to 1913. You cansee 4 of the Levin trade bead sample cards from 1865 inThe History ofBeads(Dubin)

Thepopularity of these beads was revived in the late 1960s when they began to beexported from Africa into the United States and Europe. The term \"TradeBeads\" became very popular during this time period and is still used forthe same bead reference today. The millefiori beads were also called \"LoveBeads\" and used in necklaces with peace symbols during the Hippie days.

Asthe popularity and availability of these old beads grew they started getting\"named\". We started hearing terms like \"Russian Blues\",\"Dutch Donuts\", \"King Beads\". Although some of thesefolklore names are totally meaningless...ie....\"Lewis and Clarke\"beads, they do describe a specific type of bead.

Andtoday these beads are more popular and collectable than ever. Thousands of thesebeads are in private collections around the world. The African Traders arehaving to go deeper and deeper into Africa to find more of these beads and manystyles which were readily available just 5 years ago are no longer seen today.

Tolearn more about \"trade beads\" please read,The History of Beads(Dubin), Collectable Beads(Liu), Ornaments From the Past: Bead Studies AfterBeck (Bead Study Trust), The Bead Is Constant (Wilson), Arizona Highways(July1971), Africa Adorned (Fisher) and the John and Ruth Picard series ofbooks; Volume III - Fancy Beads from the West African Trade, Volume IV - WhiteHearts, Feather and Eye Beads from the West African Trade, VolumeV - RussianBlues, Faceted and Fancy Beads from the West African Trade, Volume VI -Millefiori Beads from the West African Trade and Volume VII - Chevron and NuevaCadiz Beads.

Thereare exceptional museum collections of trade beads at the Museum of Mankind inLondon, the Pitt River Museum in Oxford, the Royal Museum of Central Africa inBelgium, the Murano Museum of Glass in Italy, the Tropical Royal Institute ofAmsterdam, and the Picard Trade Bead Museum in California, US to name a few.

Oneof the most intriguing aspects to these beads is how they have survived ahundred or more years of wear and the travel through at least three continents.Another mystery is who wore them before us who will have them next.......afterus.

RecommendedReading: COLLECTABLE BEADS (Liu)

Bodomtire trade Nigeria Nigerian liuli Tibet Tibetan tyun congo yaka mali clay bonebeaded beads

Priestamulet 3 three eye lucky charm protection prayer cinnabar blood spots old phumChinese agate clay spindle whorl Rome, Imperial Period millefiori mosaic coreform and frazzle techniques chevron glass 1st to 5th century CE BC GraniteGneiss Stone Dogon Tribal tribes tribesman Dzi Gzi Mali Africa afrika Tradingstratifield 1 century BCE BC 4 9 nine century AD Phoenician Greek Egyptian PersianAncient Mauritania Serpentine Migration Byzantine Hellenistic timestrailedcarnelian rock crystal chalcedony agateantiquity Medieval culturalRoman empire Mediterranean Barbarian Germanic European Europe Persian PersiaBactrian Bronze ice stone Age Sasanian EarlyMauritania Sassanian Byzantineartifactantiquity asian asia bactria Viking warrior fibulacaornalin agate novelglass Venice excavated Pakistan AfghanistanEgyptian Egypt Berbersilvering pumtek Himalayanlotus millefiori wave checkerboard Alexandrianorigin native CEREMONIAL CLAY buddha budha buda budhist bhudist budist BuddhistFatima lady spiritual goddess priestess Nepalese Nepal hamsa Islamic Mongolia Mongolianworry wound holy prayer ceremony dangling bolo chain jewels jeweled jewelry ghaugau Protection handmade metal cross pendent casting technique boho bohemian naturallabradorite petrified wood wooden metal rustic mother of pearlPompeiiMoroccan ghost shamen shaman borneo arrowhead afghani Bedouin quartz bacchus chokerbib charm peruvian Fossil Terrarium Botanical Earthy Style Modern Zen graduatedsardonyx Blue Jadeite Jade Spike Caveman Rugged Crystal Hebron chevron blackyellow orangetriassic era exoticserpentine intaglio seal sceneassorted ritual worshipPhoenician Etruscan pale see through thru pre-columbiantairona autumn jasper tube moche chimu pyu thai manteno spindle olmec indianDeity medallion island unakite scared fertility grey gray feldspar moon whitepaleolithic Neolithic Mesolithic mingdynasty Mauretanian gilt anklet bracelet earrings strand string lot focal greenlayer fine old monestary necklace stone shell china Chinese Mongolian holyritual ritualistic spell voodoo vudu witches turan Burmese yemen handcraftedartisan Armenian Sumerian Assyrian Liuli GlassIntaglio Middle Eastern Arabic PETRIFIED WOOD venice Millefiore ivory coast Sulemani vintage agrabal fadda chung indus occult magic talisman demon protection spirits spiritual BabylonianHammurabi God goddess Shamash King of Babylon Susa longevity Christmas gift eclectic eccentricgems precious yemen egg yolk Baltic sea round baubles relics cultural antiquityquartz marble