A Western Asiatic Gold and Agate Bead Necklace, ca. 1st millennium BCE Musical Instruments particularly those active in the

particularly those active in the Eastern provinces where portraiture in glass beads was most highly developed

its proportions and craftsmanship remain exceptional

the closed eyes and slack mouth suggest death

Medium: Acrylic on Belgian linen

carved with quiet dignity and balance

A Western Asiatic Gold and Agate Bead Necklace, ca. 1st millennium BCE Musical Instruments particularly those active in theThis refined necklace exemplifies the long and sophisticated jewelry traditions of the ancient Near East. It is composed of hand carved agate beads in shades ranging from rich red to translucent gray, each individually shaped into elongated biconical and barrel forms that taper gracefully. Their subtle variations in hue and polish reveal both the natural beauty of the stone and the high technical skill of ancient lapidaries working across Western