A high quality unicorn blue archaic glass bead talisman from the Burmese, Samon Valley culture, 800BC-200 AD. In good condition. It has been cleaned,but the nice antique patina is preserved. The holes are ancient, hand-made, irregular, funnel-shaped. Due to the transparancy of the glass the drilling technique is visible showing that the holes were made from the two sides using iron needle . The unicorn - symbol of power and strength - is a goat-like legendary creature (also called monoceros) . It has been depicted in seals, clay statues, in many civilizations. The unicorn (qilin) is also present in the Chinese mythology. There is only similar piece published in the book : "Mr Terence Tan, Dr. Susan Conway, Dr. József Takács, Dr.István Zelnik : Burmese gemstone amulets and talismans Volume 1." - Zoomorphic amulets, p.218 Purchased in 1977 in Yangoon by Dr. Zelnik during a diplomatic mission in the region. Important information : The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. Due to the complicated Cultural Laws we will not be able to ship this item outside of the EU nor to the United States. Provenance : This item comes from the collection of Dr. István Zelnik, resulting from more than 50 years of collecting. Former diplomat, Asian Arts collector, Researcher. Publications : More than 20 essays on Southeast-Asian politics and economy, presentations on international conferences. Co-author of 10 albums and books on Southeast Asian Art.