A RARE PYU BANDED AGATE ‘TIGER’ TALISMAN

Pyu city-states, 2nd-10th century. The translucent stone of a greyish-white tone with amber and dark brown bands, 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 mouth 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 natural banded ‘honey’ agate and the talisman is original, ancient, cut by hand with carving, chiseling, boring and grinding. The color is original and natural, with no traces of dye in the cracks. The stone has been cleaned in a tumbler and re-polished by hand to a shiny and smooth 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: 18.0 g Dimensions: Length 7.3 cm Literature comparison: Similar tiger talismans are published throughout Burmese Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the series From them Collection of Dr. Zelnik), Budapest 2016.