A terracotta elephant bead talisman from the ancient Indus Valley culture, first millennium AD. In good condition. It has been cleaned by hand, but the nice antique patina is preserved. 
Original, ancient, hand forming, cutting , carving, boring  and grinding. The holes are ancient, hand-made, irregular. Traces of use and age on its surface - it can happen that the holes have been over drilled with modern techniques to make them wearable when ancient holes obstructed, also that remains of several holes are visible. Some beads have been tumbler cleaned in the past so they have a smooth / shiny aspect. Purchased mid 90's in London by Dr. Zelnik on the local art market. 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 Art collector, Researcher. Publications : More than 20 essays on Southeast Asian politics and economy. Co-author of 10 albums and books on Southeast Asian Art.