Phoenician / Carthage Paste Glass Bead w/ Faces

Mediterranean world, Phoenicia or Carthage, ca. 5th to 2nd century BCE. A fascinating paste glass bead, roughly spherical in form and pierced through its center for suspension, featuring colorful decorative flourishes and white and black human faces that peer out from the sides of the bead. Beads of this style are found throughout the Mediterranean from this period, although they may have been originally produced in Phoenicia and traded. Size: 0.6" W x 0.55" H (1.5 cm x 1.4 cm)

See a similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (17.194.727).

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#156131
Condition Report: Intact, with light wear and deposits on surface.