300 YEAR OLD QING DYNASTY CHINESE BEADS Start Price USD 24.00 Current Price USD 24.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, November 09, 2008 End Time Friday, November 21, 2008 Location Belleair Beach, Florida See more about '300 YEAR OLD QING DYNASTY CHINESE BEADS' Description Thank you for viewing my auction.  I am now selling over a thousand items which I purchased in the 1950’s-80, at the London auctions, Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillip's (now Bonham's).  Much of it is ancient jewelry which was assembled in the Victorian period from elements found in the archeological excavations of that period.  They were widely publicized and wearing such jewelry was fashionable for the elite. The beads I am offering tonight are  made by the Lisu people of Yunnan Province in China. They from about 1700, when the Lisu were migrating into the Nu and Lanchang River basins and were an integral part of the colorful costume of the women. The Lisu were animists who believe that all things in nature had a divine aspect or “soul” and communicated with the spirits through sacrifices made by necromancers. The annual “knife-pole” festival celebrates the event when the first Lisu made a knife and forever changes their fate. Because they have no written language, their history is recorded in song. It is said that the history is so long that it now takes a week to sing the song! The beads are unique in that they are the rare cobalt blue color and each is made in two halves fused together with heat. We have shown, for reference, a bead which was poorly fused and separated along the seam, though these 10 are sound. The glass has inclusions and minute air bubbles as expected for the period. Offered are ten beads which string to over 3”, truly a piece of Oriental history. 50A3 Shipping is free Worldwide with the purchase of this item. Place a Bid!