A SMALL PYU BANDED AGATE ‘RAM’ TALISMAN, 200-1000 AD

A SMALL PYU BANDED AGATE ‘RAM’ TALISMAN, 200-1000 AD Pyu city-states, ancient Myanmar. Carved as a ram standing foursquare, with circular curved horns and a pointed snout, drilled horizontally through the lower body for suspension, the translucent stone of a honey-orange tone with white and amber bands. Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition with expected age-related wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks, and encrustations. The stone with natural imperfections. Weight: 5.6 g Dimensions: Length 2.7 cm Bestowed with supernatural healing properties and a representation of fertility and security, amulets such as the following were most likely carried around.