Face Bead 3

This is the last in the face bead/pendant series. This face is not scary, in fact it looks quite pleasant, nice eyes and mouth. But is it man or woman ?

Heng thinks it does not look a Han Chinese face. He thinks it looks kinda Greek !? I think the general shape of the head and ears resembles somewhat the jade face covers used in burials in early Chinese civilization.

The face bead/pendant is made of white nephrite and carved as a rectangular plaque measuring 5cm x 2.8cm and is pierced at one end only. It is carved on both sides in mirror image pattern. There is white iridescence in parts and some slight cracks.

I have seen a similar-looking piece in a jade collector's book and he had attributed it to Xizhou period (1027-771 BC) and described its use as an accessory. I am hoping mine is of the same vintage.

3 Faces Bead

Update 1: please refer to my later post https://baiyu-quietmuse.blogspot.com/2009/05/3-faces-bead.html  

Update   2:  for a similar face bead see Freer and Sackler Museum website.

Scary, scary face bead 2

Continuing the scary bead series, here is a second face bead.

This second bead was purchased in Myanmar. I think it is made of glass. The face is not as expressive as bead 1 but it is striking in its own way. The lips are thick, I wonder whether this was what early Burmese man looked like. The head is bald, is it a monk ? There are numerous pits on the surface of the eroded glass. The hole mouth is not a perforation as the bead is perforated through the head. The sea green color seem to imitate jade.

Perhaps this bead is from the ancient Pyu kingdom ?