Page 122 - South East Asian Art, December 4th 2020 Galerie Zacke Galerie Zacke

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A Pyu ROcK cRysTAl ‘elePhANT’ TAlIsMAN
Pyu city-states, 2nd-10th century. The translucent stone finely carved and neatly
incised as an elephant, its stubby trunk and tusks giving it a compact shape.
Pierced through the elephant’s forehead and behind 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 natural. There are sandy deposits in
the recesses of the surface. The stone has been cleaned in a tumbler and re-
polished by hand. There are marks of authentic ancient craftsmanship and use
of primitive tools. The holes are ancient, handmade, and irregular. 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: 42.5 g
Dimensions: Size 2.8 x 4 cm
Published: Burmese Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the
series From the Collection of Dr. Zelnik), page 240-241, Budapest 2016.
Literature comparison: An almost identical piece is published in Burmese
Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the series From the
Collection of Dr. Zelnik), page 227, Budapest 2016.

estimate euR 2,000
Starting price EUr 1,000

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