Eye bead

364EM
Eye bead 
European Migration period, Germanic tribes
6 century AD

Fourteen faceted blue matrix with four mosaic cane eyes ( blue in white in red ) on tetrahedral body.

Intact. Excellent condition, all eyes intact. W. 9 x 9 mm x H. 13 mm 

They have been found in Europe in different cultural context: Frankish, Ostrogoth, Alemani and other Germanic tribes; Viking for later examples.

For published examples in museum collections see:

Fundamental research:  Koch, Ursula. Das Reihengräberfeld bei Schretzheim. Berlin, 1977. Teil 1-Text ;Teil 2- Katalog und Tafeln, farbtafel 1: 9.4

-  Ve´ronique Arveiller-Dulong, Marie-Dominique Nenna.  Les Verres antiques du Musée du Louvre III : Parure, instruments et éléments d’incrustation, Paris, Éditions du Louvre, Somogy, 2011, p. 203, cat 272-274. 

- J. Callmer,Trade beads and bead trade in Scandinavia ca. 800-1000 A.D., 1977, pl.2: B433T