Wearable Antique Necklaces

A selection of necklaces that are stable to wear and wearable in a contemporary setting from Southeast Asia, India, North Africa & the Middle East.

Many feature trade beads, often small glass beads produced in Murano, Venice for export to around the world.

Each necklace has been drawn from our stock, and is for sale.

or...

5653

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    Necklace of Manabi Terracotta Spindle Whorls

    Pre-Colombian Manabi Culture, Ecuador
    500BC-500AD

    length: 68cm, weight: 104g

    Available Click for more info & images

    Provenance

    Acquired in the UK, from the estate collection of Dr George Yuille Caldwell (1924-2016). Dr Caldwell, an English-born physician moved to Singapore in the 1950s, from where he built up a superb collection of ethnographica.

    4260

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      Naga Bead Necklace

      Naga People, India/Burma
      19th century-early 20th century

      length: 64cm, weight: 508g

      Sold

      Provenance

      private collection, London.

      3413

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        Yemeni Silver Amulet Box (Hirz) & Chain

        Bedouin People, possibly Rayma Region, Yemen
        early 20th century

        overall length of chain: 70cm (35cm when worn), width of box & attachments: 11cm, weight: 490g

        Available Click for more info & images

        Provenance

        UK art market

        4256

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          Rare Fossilised Palmwood (Pumtek) Bead Necklace

          Pyu Kingdom, Burma, China People, Western Burma & Mizo People, Eastern India
          circa 10th century

          length: 76cm, weight: 93g

          Sold

          Provenance

          private collection, London.

          5568

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            Sri Lankan Gilded Silver Necklace set with Rubies & other Gems

            Sri Lanka
            early to mid-20th century

            length of pendant: 14cm, overall weight: 61.31

            Sold

            Provenance

            UK art market

            3966

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              Large Necklace of Silver Beads & Genuine Antique Amber Beads with Amulet Box (Hirz)

              San'a, Yemen
              early 20th century

              total length (circumference as worn): 96cm, total weight: 381g, each amber bead is around 2.5cm square

              Available Click for more info & images

              Provenance

              UK art market

              5203

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                Outstanding Naga Bead & Shell Necklace

                Naga People, Eastern India/Western Burma
                19th century

                length: approx. 90cm

                Sold

                Provenance

                UK art market

                5620

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                  South Indian Toda Silver Woman’s Necklace

                  Toda People, Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, South India
                  19th century

                  total length (or circumference as worn): 50.5cm, weight: 175g

                  Sold

                  Provenance

                  Christie's, New York; private collection, UK.

                  4910

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                    Colonial Indian Silver ‘Swami Ware’ Necklace

                    Madras, Tamil Nadu, South India. Unmarked, but probably by P. Orr & Sons.
                    19th century

                    total length (or circumference as worn): 46.5cm, weight: 99g

                    Sold

                    Provenance

                    Estate of Oppi Untracht. Untracht (1922-2008), and American who lived in Finland, was one of the world's foremost experts of Indian jewellery, silverware and metal techniques.

                    5471

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                      Gilded-Silver Mounted, Double-Sided, Pectoral Reliquary Cross with Carved Steatite (Enkolpia)

                      Mount Athos, Macedonian Greece
                      15th century

                      total length of chain (circumference as worn): 72cm, length of cross (without coin): 7.3cm, width of cross: 4.5cm, thickness of cross: 1.1cm, weight: 97g

                      Sold

                      Provenance

                      UK art market

                      4864

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                        Bontoc Clam Shell Bead & Glass Bead Necklace

                        Bontoc People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
                        19th-20th century

                        weight: 169g

                        Available Click for more info & images

                        Provenance

                        private collection, UK.

                        4499

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                          Necklace of Rare Hollow Reeded Gold Beads

                          Pyu (present-day Burma)
                          5th-9th century

                          length of bead section: 18cm (36cm circumference), weight: 29g

                          Sold

                          Provenance

                          UK art market; private collection, London.

                          5261

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                            Javanese Necklace of Early Gold Beads

                            Central Java, Indonesia
                            Early Classical Period, 8th century

                            length: 65.3cm weight: 37.7g

                            Sold

                            Provenance

                            private collection, London.

                            5205

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                              Unusually Large, Multiple-Strand Naga Blue Glass Bead Necklace

                              Naga People, India/Burma
                              circa 1900

                              length: 70cm, weight: 724g

                              Sold

                              Provenance

                              UK art market; undoubtedly, the necklace has been in the UK since the colonial era.

                              5564

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                                Gold Enamelled Kavach Pendant & Enamelled Gold Bead & Pearl Necklace for a Krishna Devotee

                                Rajasthan, India
                                19th century

                                circumference of necklace: 43cm, overall weight: 27.9g

                                Sold

                                Provenance

                                UK art market

                                4934

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                                  Omani Silver Amulet Box (Hirz) & Necklace with Applied Gold Plaques

                                  Oman
                                  circa 1900

                                  total hanging length: 45cm, approximate length of chain: 60cm, length of amulet box: 9.2cm, weight: 330g

                                  Sold

                                  Provenance

                                  UK art market

                                  4863

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                                    Red Venetian Glass & Brass Bead Necklace

                                    Andhra Pradesh, India
                                    19th century

                                    length: 80cm, weight: 237g

                                    Sold

                                    Provenance

                                    UK private collection

                                    4860

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                                      Indian Yellow Venetian Glass & Brass Bead Necklace

                                      Andhra Pradesh, India
                                      19th century

                                      length: 84cm, weight: 280g

                                      Available Click for more info & images

                                      Provenance

                                      UK private collection

                                      5048

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                                        Navajo Man’s Hand-Rolled Turquoise Bead Necklace (Jokla)

                                        Navajo Pueblo People, South-West United States
                                        19th-early 20th century

                                        length: 42cm ( 25cm for the double strand of turquoise), weight: 41g

                                        Sold

                                        Provenance

                                        private collection, UK

                                        2613

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                                          Rare South Indian Shiva-Parvati Double Rudraksha Necklace with Ruby-Inset Gold Mounts

                                          South India
                                          18th-19th century

                                          width of pendant: 5.3cm, height of pendant: 7cm, length of necklace: 31cm, weight: 75g

                                          Sold

                                          Provenance

                                          private collection, UK.

                                          4798

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                                            Indian Silver Bead Necklace

                                            Gujarat, India
                                            19th-early 20th century

                                            length: 60cm, weight: 229g

                                            Sold
                                            4232

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                                              Naga Glass Bead Necklace

                                              Naga People, Burma/India
                                              late 1940s

                                              length: 59cm, weight: 182g

                                              Sold

                                              Provenance

                                              private collection, London.