Chavin Greenstone Bead Necklace

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Northern Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 1000 to 500 BCE. A gorgeous hand-carved greenstone necklace on a thick fiber rope chain. The ancient adornment presents with a long central tube bead naturally embellished with verdant hues of celadon, viridian, and jade green speckled with shades of tan flanked by two smaller barrel-shaped beads of mottled hues of pistachio green and beige with hints of light pink. An additional greenstone in the form of a cylinder disk bead of teal and light salmon pink is placed at one end to function as a clasp. A beautiful piece of jewelry from the Chavin culture, sure to make others green with envy! Size: 16.5" L (41.9 cm)

The Chavin lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic figures.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950s to 1960s

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#159513
Condition Report: All beads are ancient. Strung in modern times. Chip on center and edge of central stone, as well as on side stone, as shown. Expected minor nicks/chips on all stones. Otherwise, excellent with beautiful earthen deposits.