Page 112 - South East Asian Art, December 4th 2020 Galerie Zacke Galerie Zacke

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A Pyu bANded AgATe ‘TIgeR’ TAlIsMAN
Pyu city-states, 2nd-10th century. The translucent stone of a pale red color with
white bands and natural inclusions, finely carved as a tiger with the back arched
and the front paws extended forwards as if preparing to pounce at its prey.
Pierced through the tiger’s neck and tail to allow suspension as a pendant.
This piece was personally examined by Burmese American archaeologist and
gemologist Terence Tan, a leading expert in Pyu art and Burmese gemstones,
and Hungarian gemologist Dr. József Takács. Their analysis finds that the stone
is a very rare natural banded agate and the talisman is original, ancient, cut by
hand with carving, boring and grinding. The color is original and natural, including
the tiger’s ‘stripes’. There are no signs of later intervention, such as traces of dye
on the surface of the stone. The piece has been cleaned, probably in a tumbler,
and re-polished by hand to a shiny and smooth surface. The marks of authentic
ancient craftsmanship are present on the surface. The holes are ancient,
handmade, irregular, and funnel-shaped. A certificate signed by Dr. Zelnik
attesting to the above will be handed to the winning bidder upon request.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above.
condition: Very good condition with minor traces of age and wear.
Weight: 68.7 g
Dimensions: Length 8.2 cm
Literature comparison: Similar tiger talismans are published throughout Burmese
Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the series From the
Collection of Dr. Zelnik), Budapest 2016, one with a particularly similar banded
agate pattern on pages 288-291.
estimate euR 4,000
Starting price EUr 2,000

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