A Near Eastern amulet bead in the form of an anthropomorphic face, carved from a dark hardstone, most likely haematite. The bead has been pierced longitudinally for suspension. Beads were thought to used by people of the ancient world as personal ornamentation, similar to its function in the modern world. Stone bead-making emerged during the Neolithic period in the Near East and further proliferated in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age with different materials, styles and trade. The process of bead-making suggest early forms of craft specialisation. The increase in its production also coincided with the transition from nomadic subsistence to agriculture and livestock raising. Measurements: Circa H 1.1cm x W 0.6cm Provenance: From SM London collection, by descent, 1970-99.