Sloane Hawthorne

Gold necklace, Guangxi, China,

Dated to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE),

Most of the necklace is composed of smooth, elongated biconical (or olive-shaped) gold beads.

At the bottom, five spherical beads stand out, finely decorated with a geometric openwork structure.

Many archaeology enthusiasts note a striking visual resemblance between these spheres and the mysterious Roman dodecahedra.

Alongside the geometric spheres, there is a full, smooth pumpkin-shaped element (or pear-shaped element) and a hemispherical bead covered with a dense granulation pattern.

This jewel testifies to the high level of technology achieved in metallurgy and goldsmithing by the master craftsmen of Imperial China.