Name : Ancient Antique Burmese Pyu Carnelian Agate Crystal Quartz Beads - #305
Origin : Ancient Burma, Pyu
Age: 2nd Century BCE to mid 11th Century
Material: Turtle Green Glass, Carnelian, Chalcedony, Agate, Crystal Quartz
Beads size : (Please see picture)
Condition : Excellent (Picture proof)
Click and enlarge the pictures for the quality, the size & the detail in particular
The Pyu city states (Burmese : ပျူ မြို့ပြ နိုင်ငံများ , simplified Chinese : 骠国 ; traditional Chinese : 驃國 ; pinyin : Biāoguó ) were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BCE to c. mid-11th century in present-day Upper Burma (Myanmar). The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman -speaking Pyu people, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant.[2] The thousand-year period, often referred to as the Pyu millennium , linked the Bronze Age to the beginning of the classical states period when the Pagan Kingdom emerged in the late 9th century.
Ref: Wiki
The earliest Pumtek are believed to be crafted in ancient times during the Pyu/Tircul period (or slightly earlier). They can come in a variety of shapes and sizes and display a diverse range of decorations. Each decoration was applied by hand and the beads were heat treated to allow the design to penetrate the stone. The true meaning of such motifs has long since been lost in antiquity. Some designs might have been inspired by the decorated stone beads found in India or even Tibet, however, many are certainly unique to the Pumtek beads found in Burma. The Chin also have individual names for each bead type and the rarer designs are highly valued. The fact that the name means buried thunderbolt might hint at their amuletic properties or that they are fortuitously discovered buried in the ground (also suggesting an ancient origin).
Pumtek are unusual because they are crafted from silicified wood (also known as opalised, fossilised or petrified wood) and in some cases agate or chalcedony. The silicified wood used in the making of Pumteks is an agatised or opalised material that is indigenous to Burma. Therefore it is unlikely the material was imported from elsewhere. This makes Pumteks very distinct from other stone beads found in Asia.
Ref: The Beads of Burma