TWO SMALL PYU ‘ELEPHANT’ TALISMANSBurma / Myanmar, Pyu city states (200-1000 CE). The larger carved from rock crystal, the translucent stone of good clarity with some natural inclusions, the smaller carved from an opaque grayish stone. Both depicting an elephant with a short and lowered trunk and pierced through the mouth and tail allowing for suspension as a pendant. The holes show ancient toolmarks and are handmade and irregular.Condition: Good condition with minor traces of age and wear, the stone with natural flaws. Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Weight: 78.1 g (total) Dimensions: Length 3 cm – 4.8 cm