Page 120 - South East Asian Art, December 4th 2020 Galerie Zacke Galerie Zacke

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A VeRy RARe Pyu ROcK cRysTAl TAlIsMAN
dePIcTINg A TIgeR WITh cub IN ITs MOuTh
Pyu city-states, 2nd-10th century. The translucent stone of good clarity with some
natural inclusions, finely carved as a tiger with a cub in its mouth, a very rare
depiction. Large piercing through the mouth and tail allowing for 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 rock crystal and the talisman is original, ancient, cut by hand with carving,
chiseling, boring, and grinding. The color is original and natural. The stone has
been cleaned by hand while preserving the fine ancient patina. There are clear
marks of authentic ancient craftsmanship and use of primitive tools. The holes
are ancient, handmade, irregular, funnel-shaped, the use of an iron needle is
apparent due to the transparency of the stone, the holes having been made
from both sides, the difficulty of execution can be seen. There is no evidence
of a later external intervention or the use of modern instruments on this piece.
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: 48.3 g
Dimensions: Length 7.8 cm
Literature comparison: Similar tiger talismans are published in Burmese
Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the series From the
Collection of Dr. Zelnik), pages 94/95 and 142/143, Budapest 2016.

estimate euR 4,000
Starting price EUr 2,000

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