Bronze Age Agate Beads with Lapis Lazuli and Granulated Silver Spacers

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Bronze Age Agate Beads with Lapis Lazuli and Granulated Silver Spacers

About the Item

Fifteen agate beads, forty-two lapis lazuli beads and eighteen granulated silver beads. The agate beads are from the early Bronze Age. They are at least four thousand years old (and some are older). Between each of the larger beads is a group of three beads: the outer two are lapis lazuli and the center of the group is a granulated silver bead. There is an extra set of these groups at the back on each side to go behind the neck when the necklace is being worn. The necklace is completed with a silver clasp and beading tips. The dimensions of the agate beads (beginning in the first photograph in the upper left) are as follows: 1. Length- 1.6 cm. width at the center- 1.2cm. Width at the ends- 5 mm. Thickness- 6.1 mm. Drill hole diameter- 3mm. A flat lozenge of slightly grayish clear quartz with a white diagonal band. The upper and lower registers are very slightly different shades. There are planar surface characteristics that indicate the bead was reground to remove encrustation from burial. 2. Length-1.95 cm. Width at center- 8.5 mm. Width at ends 6.2 mm. Diameter of drill hole-32.5 mm. A barrel shape with a zone of white quartz and bands of lines of clear quartz. 3. Length- 2 cm Width at center 1.16 cm. Width at ends 5 mm. Thickness 5 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 2.5 mm. A flat lozenge with bands of white and clear quartz. Flawless condition. 4. Length- 2.9 cm. Width at center 8.8 mm. Width at ends 4.5 mm. Diameter of drill hole-3.2 mm. A barrel shape with a surface whitened from long exposure to alkaline soil. The parallel stripes that were originally white have turned a dark reddish brown. The areas that were clear have now turned to an opaque white with some reddish coloration. Unusual. 5. Length- 2.2 cm. Width at center- 1.8 cm. Width at ends 8 mm. Thickness 6 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 4.8 mm. A lozenge shape with clear quartz and white layers; one of the layers is a pale orange. The very large hole indicates a very early age. The surface shows wear as do the drill holes which have been worn away by wear on the thinnest parts at the front and back. 6. Length- 1.95 cm. Width at center 9.2 mm. Width at ends- 5 mm. Diameter of drill holes- 3 mm. A barrel shape with white and clear quartz banding. There are a few layers with pale orange color. 7. Length- 2.2 cm. Width at center- 1.9 cm. Width at ends- 7 mm. Thickness-8.5 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 4 mm. A lozenge shape with clear quartz and white banding. It is very similar to #5 but not as thin and less worn. 8. Length- 3.3 cm. Width at center 1 cm. Width at ends- 7 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 3 mm. A barrel shape that shows surface whitening from prolonged exposure to alkaline soil. There is a circular zone (“eye”) on one side. 9. Length 7.2 mm. Width at center 7.2 mm. Width at ends- 6.3 mm. Thickness 6.6mm. Diameter of drill hole- 2.6 mm. A lozenge shape with an unusual longitudinal division; One half of the bead is a milky white and the other is slightly yellow with a bit of brown at the very edge. 10. Length- 2.72 cm. Width at center- 8.3 mm. Width at ends- 5 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 3 mm. A barrel shape with some whitening to the surface which remains very smooth and polished. The bead was originally mostly transparent quartz with very thin parallel lines of banding. 11. Length- 2.25 cm. Width at center- 1.35 cm. Width at ends- 1.35cm. Thickness 5.9 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 3 mm. A flat squared off shape with surface wear and a slight chip at the ole on one end. Opaque white with clear quartz banding. The shape is a less common variant of the lozenge shaped flat beads. 12. Length- 2.25 cm. Width at center- 9 mm. Width at ends- 5 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 2.3 mm. A barrel shape of clear quartz with white and pale orange banding. There is surface wear with many tiny impact chips and there is some small chipping around the drill holes that show the bead was much worn. 13. Length- 1.9 cm. Width at center- 1.23 cm. Width at ends- 7.3 mm. Thickness- 6.4 mm. Diameter of drill hole- 2.5 mm. A lozenge shaped bead that is domed on the front side and flat on the back. The ends are translucent white with a center band of mottled clear and white material. There is a very shallow chip which has flaked from the side edge. The flat back is possibly the result of regrinding to remove the chipped out area, however beads from this period with flat backs do occur. The hole does not look to be slightly off center as it would be if this were the case, so it is inconclusive as to when in the bead's life the damage did occur. 14. Length- 1.65 cm. Width at center- 1.5 cm. Width at ends 6.5 mm. Thickness- 6 mm. Drill hole diameter- 3.3 mm. A very short oval shape of clear quartz with transverse banding with white lines. There is orange in one of the clear bands between the white lines and another narrow band with light orange color. Thee are some very superficial flaws on the back side that appear to have been ground partially away in ancient times leaving one side very thin at the perforation. This has resulted in a small worn away or chipped out area at the hole on one end and a larger such deficit on the other where the surface sloping towards the hole became very thin. In spite of this slight damage, the bead is very beautiful. 15. Length- 1.4 cm. Width at center- 1.5 cm. Width at ends 5.5 mm on one and 5.6 mm on the other. Thickness- 6.3 mm. Drill hole diameter- 3.6 mm. A lozenge shaped bead with white body traversed by thin clear quartz lines with the center having a clear band with very fine white lines. There are several thicker white lines with thin clear lines separating them and the end is clear quartz. This end has chipping around the hole that has resulted in the loss of perhaps .5 mm of length. This is the result of very thin walls at the edge, the result of having a very large drill hole. Beads with drill hole diameters of 3 mm and more are very early, from before the invention of the constricted cylinder drill bit, when holes were drilled large to avoid the bit seizing up inside the hole and ruining the work. This means the bead is probably more than 3,500 years old. The lapis lazuli beads are oblate or roughly cylindrical, 5mm - 6mm in length and 6 mm - 7 mm in width. There are eighteen granulated silver beads. Each of these is composed of fifteen granules fused together to form three rings which are then stacked. The grains in the inner ring are almost twice the size of the grains in the outer rings. The beading tips and clasp repeat the motif. The bead industry in the early Bronze age in this area was dominated by the Indus Valley civilization which produced, among other beads, long carnelian beads of amazing technical accomplishment. The beads were obviously influenced by, and benefited from their neighboring culture's achievements. However, they were able to develop their own bead industry separate from the Indus Valley products. The agate beads they made are some of the finest ever produced by any of the advanced civilizations of the ancient world. The necklace is 64.4 cm (25 3/8 inches) in length. The necklace weighs 62.5 grams.

Creator:
David Ebbinghouse
Metal:
Silver
Stone:
Lapis Lazuli,Agate
Stone Cut:
Bead
Weight:
62.5 g
Dimensions:
Length: 25.36 in (644 mm)
Style:
Artist
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Unknown
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. There are at least two beads in this necklace which show evidence of regrinding, and slight chipping due to the age of the beads. However, others are in flawless condition and the overall quality is exquisite. See description for details.
Seller Location:
Bloomington, IN
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2425213789892