Tibetan Stone and Glass Prayer Bead Pendant Necklace

Graduated group of long banded carnelian beads with gilt spacer beads, centrepiece carved bicone bead with scroll detailing flanked by two biconvex beads. 177 grams, 60.4 cm



Private collection, UK.

Plano-convex type with incuse scene of a putto kneeling on an arrow with one leg extended over it, holding the flight-feather of a bird in one hand and encouraging a goose to feed from the other hand; with traces of copper tooling; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.32 grams, 12 mm



Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, London, UK.

Perhaps the putto is encouraging the goose to approach him so that he can pluck its flight-feathers for use on the shafts of his arrows.

An imitation shrunken head modelled from leather with applied hair, moustache, eyebrows and eyelashes; pierced through the lips and ears; set in a later glass dome with base. 810 grams total, 20.5 cm including stand



Acquired Mellors & Kirk, circa 2019. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985.

The Victorian ‘freak show’ played a significant role in mid- and late-nineteenth century popular culture, enjoyed by everyone regardless of their class. Such shows, which often travelled the country, were presented to the public as entertaining and educational, offering the opportunity to learn about anatomy and the ‘realities’ of people from foreign lands. The real 'shrunken heads', known as tsantsas, were carefully preserved, severed human heads that were used by the Jivaroan people of the Amazon as war trophies, for ceremonial purposes, or to intimidate enemies.