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Glass beads

Hubei Provincial Museum

Hubei Provincial Museum
Wuhan, China

173 glass beads were unearthed from the Zeng Hou Yi Mausoleum. They are made of soda-lime glass. These beads are similar to glass beads that were made in the West. These beads prove that Chinese people already made glass as early as in the Shang dynasty.

On the surface of the beads painted patterns that look like eyes of dragonflies. Every “eye” is a group of concentric circles. They are mostly painted in orange, brown and blue. Dragonflies were believed to have great eye sight and capable of keeping away bad luck. These beads could be worn separately or be made into a necklace.

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  • Title: Glass beads
  • Location: Unearthed from Leigudun Tomb (No.1 ), Suizhou, Hubei
  • Medium: Glass
  • Excavation Date: 1978
  • Dynasty: Around 433 B.C. (the East Zhou Dynasty and the early Warring States Period)
  • Dimensions: Diameter: 0.7-2.3 cm
Hubei Provincial Museum

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