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Jewelry and Seals :
Ancient Beaded Necklaces : Amber and Faience Bead Necklace
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Amber and Faience Bead Necklace - SB.1366
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Circa: 900
BC
to 1200
AD
Catalogue: V1
Collection: Jewelry
Medium: Amber, Faience
$4,960.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Necklace composed of antique amber beads
from
the Iron Age through the Crusader period
and
antique Egyptian faience beads from the
Middle and
New Kingdoms.
Amber, the fossilized resin of extinct
trees, is one of
the oldest gems known to man. Amulets
made from
it have been found in tombs dating from
the Stone
Age. Of rich color, its electrical
properties made it
magic to primitive man and this
fascination has
continued to the present day. Widespread
trade in
amber began over 9,000 years ago, when
it traveled
from the Baltic region to the palaces
and cities of
the ancient Mediterranean, such as
Knossos and
Mycenae. It was believed in Antiquity--
as now--
that amber could cure numerous ailments
and avert
evil or prevent witchcraft. Ancient
myths ascribed its
origins to the rays of the setting sun,
cooled in the
ocean; to the tears of rare birds; or to
the urine of
the lynx. Homer makes mention of amber
in the
Odyssey. In prehistoric times, the resin
oozing from
trees sometimes encased insects and
other
specimens of natural life. These
inclusions are
highly prized today. Amber varies in
color from pale
yellow, to rich honey brown, to deep
orange to red.
Soothing to the touch as well as to the
eye, it is still
one of the most popular gems after the
passage of
millennia.
- (SB.1366)
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