Necklace with 69 Celtic Eye Beads

Culture: Celtic

Period: 5th-4th century B.C.

Material: Glass

Dimensions: 48 cm long

Price: Sold

Ref: 5249

Provenance: From a southern German private collection, by descent from the grandfather 30 years ago. Last in the German art market.

Condition: All beads intact and in an excellent condition. The necklace is ready to wear.

Description: Magnificent necklace with 69 eye beads, amongst them nine very rare double beads, as well as one yellow glass bead. The eye beads of yellow glass with applied blue “eyes”, which are framed in white and blue. For the making of these so-called layered eye beads different colored glass rods were fused, then cut in small pieces and pressed in a hot matrix. Finally, the ring beads were smoothed and polished. There are still scientific discussions about the place of manufacture. One approach is that these beads were imported objects, which were probably made in Greece or Levant. But it is also possible that the Celts were able to produce them themselves following the Phoenician model. Modern restrung with a modern clasp and ready to wear.