Necklace

Necklace — Tibetan, 19th–20th Century

Description

A necklace structured through a single strand of fossil shell beads, descending to a dense suspended field of beadwork anchored by a series of worked silver tubular elements. The strand narrows toward the clasp and expands toward the lower arc, establishing a transition from suspension to terminal mass.

At the lower register, engraved silver tubes are set at intervals, each supporting multiple strands of smaller fossil beads that descend in parallel. These strands form a continuous fringe, extending the structure downward and concentrating weight at the base. The arrangement creates an open field of repeated vertical elements, held in alignment by the upper strand.

The fossil shell beads are irregular in form, retaining variation in size and surface. Silver components introduce a second material register, punctuating the lower section and organising the suspended strands. The stringing remains uninterrupted, allowing the sequence of elements to read as a single continuous structure.

Context

Tibetan jewellery of this type is organised through the accumulation of small units into larger suspended fields. Material contrast between organic bead and worked metal establishes hierarchy, while repetition and density determine the structure.

Provenance

From the Felice Maffei Collection.

Acquired in Tibet, 1970.

Available on private enquiry.