Anthropomorphic and half human half animal amulets, talismans and beads constitute a rare and special group of Burmese gemstone devotional objects. As far as we know, a few anthropomorphic amulets have turned up at the archaeological excavations of the Samon Valley and Pyu cultures, too.

In Early Landscapes of Myanmar, Elisabeth H. Moore published a photograph of just such an anthropomorphic bead, an object that is today in the collection of Win Maung in Burma, and which originates from Tatkon.¹ Reports of two similar amulets, from the so-called Srimathyakul Thai collection have been published in Australia. The 254 anthropomorphic gemstone objects in the Zelnik Collection can be divided into four subgroups: those that are full human figures (64 pieces), those that are heads (95 pieces), those that are half human, half animal figures (7 pieces) and very primitive shapes imitating the human form (88 pieces).

Some of these objects are connected to the Samon Valley and Pyu cultures, but the majority more likely originate from earlier tribal cultures in Burma, Southeast India and Indochina.

The tradition of talismans and amulets in Southeast Asia and, within that, of Myanmar has a history of several thousand years. The excavations of the cave-dwelling cultures of Northern Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar revealed bronze, iron and shell beads and amulets dating from the period 7500-3500 BCE.² Most of the pieces from the Zelnik Collection presented herein were probably made during the period 1500 BCE to 1000 CE.

In the initially primitive, then more developed societies that took shape, people sought explanations for phenomena of a world that they found mysterious, the events that shaped their lives, including: birth, death, fertility, natural disasters (such as drought, rain, storms, earthquakes), shooting stars and meteorites; however, they also wished to find means of protecting themselves from wild animals, the various natural disasters, illnesses, at tacks from other tribes, both invisible and visible dangers.

As a result, they developed beliefs, myths and associated rites and ceremonies in which amulets, talismans and beads served as objectified instruments.

The anthropomorphic amulets and talismans were probably depictions of gods, superior personages in human form, or possibly rulers who provided protection, redemption and ‘divine powers’ to their wearers, allowing them to battle evil, cruel spirits and demons and to find solutions to the problems of their lives. Some of the amulets and talismans were probably also accompanied by rituals in which singing, changing and some primitive percussion instruments or drums, played important roles. The rites were used to express the desire for prosperity, happiness, health and wealth, to invoke good spirits, and in praying to gods and requesting protection. Similar ceremonies still exist today among the Southeast Asian jungle tribes and groups that live outside industrial civilization.