One hundred and eight blue Liuli bead necklace, Qing dynasty

Necklace made of one hundred and eight spherical liuli glass beads ‘琉璃’ or colored polish, in a translucent and shiny blue tone. The design is complemented by larger beads as rhythmic spacers and decorative terminals, all mounted on braided textile cord. This type of necklace, known as a mala, is traditionally used in Buddhist contexts for meditation and mantra-counting. Qing dynasty (1644-1912) or later.

Bead diameter: 8 mm; 12 mm

Weight: 79.2 g