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Head Ornament

3rd century BC

Not on view

This ornament, found around the head of the deceased, comprises hundreds of turquoise, carnelian, and gold beads. Their shapes vary, from flat to faceted to cylindrical. The ornament was found in Zhangjiachuan, where nomadic tribes from the steppes coexisted alongside the Qin. In shape and technique, these beads reveal the influence of the Qin’s nomadic neighbors.

Head Ornament, Gold, turquoise, and carnelian, China — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

战国晚期玛瑙、松石、黄金串饰

Title: Head Ornament

Period: Warring States period (475–221 BCE)

Date: 3rd century BC

Culture: China

Medium: Gold, turquoise, and carnelian

Dimensions: H. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm); W. 10 3/8 in. (26.4 cm)
Display case: H. 11 in. (27.9 cm); W. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); D. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm)

Classification: Jewelry

Credit Line: Lent by Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.