Pyu city-states, 2nd-10th century. The translucent stone of a pale to deep lavender tone with natural white inclusions, finely carved as a tiger with the back arched and the front paws extended forwards as if preparing to pounce at its prey. Pierced through the tiger’s neck and tail to allow suspension as a pendant. This piece was personally examined by Burmese American archaeologist and gemologist Terence Tan, a leading expert in Pyu art and Burmese gemstones, and Hungarian gemologist Dr. József Takács. Their analysis finds that the stone is an amethyst and the talisman is original, ancient, cut by hand with carving, chiseling, boring and grinding. The color is original and natural. The stone has been cleaned by hand using organic oil. There are no traces of later dying in the recesses or on the surface of the stone. The marks of primitive tools are clearly visible on the surface. The holes are ancient, irregular, and funnel-shaped. A certificate signed by Dr. Zelnik attesting to the above will be handed to the winning bidder upon request. Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor traces of age and wear, few natural fissures to the stone. Weight: 36.3 g Dimensions: Length 7.4 cm Literature comparison: Related tiger talismans are published throughout Burmese Gemstone Amulets and Talismans Volume 1 (part of the series From the Collection of Dr. Zelnik), Budapest 2016, with a particularly similar piece on pages 140/141.