Ancient Suns

Very rare Mayan jadeite tubular/bar bead. 2000+ years old. Large jadeite beads, like this one, were worn only by Mayan nobility. There is a tradition, among the Maya, that beads like this were sometimes etched with a line, at the birth of each child. Sometimes, later, the bead was cut, along that line, and given to the child. This was likely the case, with this bead, judging from the different sized stringing holes on the two ends of the bead. It is also possible, of course, that at some point in its history, this bead was broken and re-polished. Either way, judging from the patina on this bead, the cut was made in antiquity. This bead is finely crafted from a fine green jadeite that has a bluish gray tint. It retains an extraordinary polish, and has a fine ancient patina.Excellent condition.

35mm x 17mm