Northern Africa, Sahara Desert, Neolithic period, ca. 10,000 to 6000 BCE. An intriguing ensemble of 4 hand-carved stone spheres presenting petite forms and varying hues of vanilla, misty rose, vermilion, and mottled black, white, and gray. Each globular artifact has been nicely shaped and polished to a smooth surface. Skillfully made by ancient people that inhabited the Sahara when it was a savanna; a hospitable climate for these hunter gatherers. Some scholars posit that these beautiful spheres may have been put in the mouths of the deceased perhaps to help them with their journeys through the afterlife. Size of largest: 0.6" W (1.5 cm) Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private German collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #159655