China, Hongshan, 3500 to 2200 BCE. A tutelary spirit figure depicting a turtle, a symbol of longevity, expertly carved from a single piece of translucent quartz crystal. Tutelary spirits are community deities of creation and nature traditionally believed to serve as guides with divine power, symbols associated with villages populated by particular surnames and ancestry. A very strong example with a perforation under the neck for suspension. Size: 2.875" L x 1.75" W (7.3 cm x 4.4 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection formed over the period between 1980 and 2000; Ex-Peter Klika collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#119842

Near choice if not choice. Nice mineral deposits.