Carnelian Animal-Shaped Ornaments in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2017

Assembly of Animal-Shaped Ornaments,ca. 300–100 BC


Object Details

Date: ca. 300–100 BC

Culture: India or Southeast Asia

Medium: Carnelian

Dimensions: Each approx. H. 1/2 in. (1.3 cm): L. 3/8 in. (1.4 cm)

Classification: Hardstone

Credit Line: Lent by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum


These ornaments were likely imported. They are made of carnelian, a stone native to India that first came to China via the steppes and the Silk Road and later via maritime trade. The city of Hepu, where these carvings were found, was a busy seaport, from which merchants’ ships set sail for the Indian Ocean.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/696811