This is a rare bead from the Imperial court in China dating to about 1850. It is 12.0 mm in diameter (just under 1/2 inch) and hand carved from a prune pit. See Collectible Beads (Liu) page 68 for a necklace from China's Imperial Court made of identical beads. That necklace was purchased in Beijing, site of the Forbidden City where the rulers of the Ming and Quing dynasties lived and held court. It is known that vast amounts of treasure were housed there and much was sold in the mid 19th century by unscrupulous courtiers. The last monarch was the Empress Dowager who is usually pictured wearing a bead necklace. Like the Imperial color, yellow, things used at court were forbidden to outsiders so it may be concluded that this bead was worn at the royal court and most likely was part of the loot misappropriated in the 19th century. The bead itself may be much older than that. This is a rare opportunity to add a really rare bead to your collection or modern jewelry creation.