Ancient Carved Amethyst Crown Flower Bead Necklace with 22k Gold

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About the Item

Twenty-three amethyst beads carved in the form of Crown flowers with five ridged lobes that flare on one end. There are four beveled triangular amethyst beads, two at the back of the necklace and two in the front on either side of the pendant bead. There are twenty-five 22k gold “stems” separating each of the flowers, and a granulated “crown” at the open end of each flower. A round bead at the apex of the necklace allows the largest of the amethyst flower beads to be strung as a pendant. A stack of three granulated gold ring beads of decreasing size with a granule of gold at the bottom acts as a stopper for the pendant bead. The beading tips are composted of stacks of three granulated rings of decreasing size as well and they and the hook and eye clasps are also 22k gold. The Crown flower is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. It grows as a large shrub to 4 m (13 feet) tall with clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender. Each flower has five petals and a small “crown” rising from the center which holds the stamens. The flowers are long lasting and fragrant and are used in Thailand in floral arrangements and strung in garlands to ornament Buddha statures. In India, the plant is common in the compounds of temples and is known as Madar in Hindi. It is used as an offering to the god Shiva. The milky white sap of the bush is toxic, making it an appropriate offering to Shiva who is able to ingest all poisons and transmute them into ambrosia. The sap has been used as an arrow poison and the bush is useful as a source of durable fiber. It is also known as Indian Bowstring bush. Its royal associations extend to Hawaii where it was favored by Queen Liliukalani, who considered them a symbol of royalty and wore them strung into leis. Until modern times, amethyst was very rare and expensive. Now there have been huge quantities discovered in Brazil, but in ancient times, the use of amethyst was reserved for only the very wealthy. It is very likely that this set of beads was commissioned by wealthy patrons, or perhaps even royalty, as a donation to a temple and intended to adorn a statue of Buddha. The beads were acquired in Chaing Mai in northern Thailand and were said to be Pyu period. It seems more likely that the beads are not from Myanmar, but are actually from Thailand and are somewhere around a thousand years old and not two thousand as they would be if they were Pyu. The problem with dating these beads is that there is nothing that we know of to compare them to; analysis of the technique of manufacturing the beads confirms that they are very old, but we have very little more information to guide us. The necklace is impressive in both size and technique. The complex forms of the flowers have been carefully captured. Both the color and the form makes the identification of the flower very certain. Other cultures, such as the ancient Egyptian, have made hard stone beads that mimic the forms of perishable flowers. The use of flowers as adornments goes back to the dawn of humanity and garlands of flowers have been used as offerings and worn in celebrations for thousands of years. The necklace is 60 cm in length. The necklace weighs 106 grams.

Creator:
David Ebbinghouse
Metal:
22k Gold
Stone:
Amethyst
Stone Cut:
Bead
Weight:
106 g
Dimensions:
Length: 23.63 in (600 mm)
Style:
Artist
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Unknown
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. The amethyst beads are in exceptional condition judging by their rarity and age. The 22k gold is contemporary - to enhance the beauty of the ancient beads.
Seller Location:
Bloomington, IN
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2425213785302

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