Tibetan Hair Bead with Turquoise and Coral

This Tibetan hair bead is splendid for its unusually large size, its quality, its mixing of turquoise with coral, and also for its patina and obvious significant age.

Such beads were worn in the hair by upper class women in Lhasa.

The bead features fine silver wirework, pearled wire, and applique work. At its centre is a large, flat turquoise cabochon and on each end is a smaller coral cabochon, all in box mounts.

The reverse is of hammered, thin copper sheet. The silver of the body is wrapped over the copper to hold it in place, though there is much pleasing wear to the silver.

A similarly large example, but without coral, is illustrated in Geoffrey-Schneiter (2012, p. 70.)

The bead here is in fine condition. There is some denting to the edging and plenty of wear. The age of this bead is very clear – it has a wonderful patina. Given its size, it is likely to have been an heirloom bead that was passed down through several generations.