The semitranslucent beads of tubular form, the stone of dark brown color with bands and lines of creamy white. Each with drilled through the center, the larger with two additional apertures.

Condition: Good condition with surface wear, traces of weathering, encrustations, the largest with smoothened chips to edges.
Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two books on Asian art, Goa Made. An Archaeological Discovery, about large-scale archaeological project carried out together with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.

Weight: 65 g in total
Dimensions: Length 6 - 8 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related banded agate bead, 4 cm long, dated 750-300 BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1894,1101.103.

Auction result comparison:
Compare a related banded agate bead, 7.1 cm long, sold in these rooms, 10 March 2023, lot 661 (sold for EUR 3,380) together with a similar slightly larger triangular bead.