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String of beads
Near Eastern, Mesopotamian, Sumerian
Early Dynastic Period
2900–2334 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Lapis lazuli
Dimensions
Length (doubled): 29 cm (11 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Florence E. and Horace L. Mayer Fund
Accession Number1985.349
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Beads
DescriptionRestrung necklace composed of 110 biconical lapis lazuli beads excavated at the Royal Cemetery of Ur. Lapis lazuli was mined in what is today northern Afghanistan and shipped overland twelve hundred miles to Mesopotamian markets.
Provenance1926-1931, excavated in the Royal Cemetery of Ur by Charles Leonard Wooley (b. 1880 – d. 1960), London [see note 1]; 1960, possibly by descent within the family [see note 2]; 1985, sold by Astarte Gallery, London, to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 26, 1985)
NOTES:
[1] See Charles Leonard Wooley, Ur Excavations Volume II: The Royal Cemetery, London, 1934, pp. 367-375.
[2] According to MFA files, said to have been sold on consignment to Astarte Gallery by a member of Wooley’s family.
NOTES:
[1] See Charles Leonard Wooley, Ur Excavations Volume II: The Royal Cemetery, London, 1934, pp. 367-375.
[2] According to MFA files, said to have been sold on consignment to Astarte Gallery by a member of Wooley’s family.