**Originally Listed At $400**

Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic periods, ca. 664 to 30 BCE; Near East/Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 6th to 12th century CE. A collection of dozens of faience beads strung on a cotton thread, 3 leaded bronze crucifix charms, and a glass trade bead strung on a separate cord. The Egyptian faience beads are glazed in the characteristic turquoise blue hue and consist of petite seed and elongated tubular shapes with a singular drop shaped petite pendant bead. The miniature Christian cruciform charms and glass millefiori bead date to the Byzantine Empire and are also threaded on cotton threads. Size of faience strand doubled: 28" L (71.1 cm); largest crucifix charm: 0.75" L x 0.3" W (1.9 cm x 0.8 cm)

Please note this was part of the Leavitt Hunt collection. Hunt (1831 to 1907) was a lawyer, world traveler, and photographer and the first American, if not the first person, to make a photographic record of the Near East and Mediterranean, during his "Grand Tour" from 1851 to 1852, alongside his friend, Nathan Flint Baker (1820-1891). Hunt and Baker captured calotype images of some of the greatest ancient ruins of the Classical World, and these prints are invaluable early artistic photographs as well as historical records of the sites, and several were donated by Hunt's family to the Library of Congress as part of the permanent collection, as well as other institutions. Besides taking photos, artifacts were personally collected by Hunt in the various countries he visited, including these pieces.

Provenance: ex-Natalie Capron, Vermont, USA, 1972 to 2008, now by her heirs; ex-Maurice Crandall, Vermont, 1941 to 1972; ex-Clyde du Vernet Hunt, Vermont, 1916 to 1941; ex-Katherine Jarvis Hunt, Vermont, 1907 to 1916; ex-Leavitt Hunt, Vermont, collected 1851 to 1852

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#174392

Beads and charms are likely strung in the 19th century on antique 19th century cotton threads. Not wearable as is, fraying to cotton cords on both pieces. Chips and losses to faience beads. Heavy patina and oxidation on bronze charms.