Henan province, Luoyang, Jincun Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring states period. 745-221 BCE Gold, nephrite, amber and turquoise RLS1997.48.437 Since it was first exhibited in London in 1935, this gold chain with pairs of loose jade and amber beads has been described as a necklace, even though Chinese archaeologists have not found a comparable piece of Jewelry in any controlled excavation. Research on a similar woven gold strand that was purchased from the same Chinese art dealer (and is now on display in the Freer Gallery of Art) suggests such chains were never intended to be worn around the neck. They were probably reconfigured in the early 20th century from ancient belts. Despite the modern arrangement, each element dates to the late Warring States period (475-221 BCE) and can be associated with the royal cemetary at Jincun, Henan province.
aperture=f4.0 focal length: 60.0 mm exposure 1/160 sec ISO: 2000