A Western Asiatic Gold and Agate Bead Necklace, ca. 1st millennium BCE

This refined necklace exemplifies the long and sophisticated jewelry traditions of the ancient Near East. It is composed of hand-carved agate beads in shades ranging from rich red to translucent gray, each individually shaped into elongated biconical and barrel forms that taper gracefully. Their subtle variations in hue and polish reveal both the natural beauty of the stone and the high technical skill of ancient lapidaries working across Western Asia.

The centerpiece bead, a large, banded agate cylinder, serves as the visual and symbolic focus of the composition. It is capped at either end with original ancient high-karat gold fittings, carefully hammered and finished with fine repoussé detailing. These end caps are characteristic of prestige adornments worn by elite individuals in the early first millennium BCE, and were likely intended to frame the central bead as an amulet or protective element. Their use of nearly pure gold not only denotes wealth and rank but also reflects the widespread Near Eastern belief in gold’s incorruptible, divine nature.

The necklace is interspersed with small ribbed gold spacer beads, also ancient, which rhythmically punctuate the strand and unify the design. Such combinations of semi-precious stones and gold appear in excavated jewelry from Susa, Ur, and the Oxus region, where agate and carnelian were traded over vast distances through well-established networks linking the Persian plateau, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley. These ornaments embodied both aesthetic sophistication and the interconnectedness of early civilizations. 

Medium: Agate, carnelian, gold

Dimensions: Length: 18 inches (45.7 cm)

Condition: All elements are ancient and have minor wear and surface variations consistent with age. The beads have been professionally restrung with modern wire for wear and durability.

Provenance: Patti Cadby Birch Collection (1923-2007), New York, acquired in the early 70s.