Eight beads of a rosary fragmentary, Early 16th century, Italy (?). Bronze, gilt, champlevé, 17 x 1,7 cm. Ident.Nr. F 3477. Kunstgewerbemuseum © Foto: Kunstgewerbemuseum der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz. Foto Saturia Linke.

The beads formed in the form of six-sided prisms with Eckstegen originally belonged to a rosary, as it is obtained, for example, to a modern Madonna procession in the parish church in Ueberstorf (CH, Canton of Fribourg). The individual parts indicate the sides in different colors rendered engravings of flowers, Passion tools and letter sequences (REX, DEI, GRA, MIC, JHS etc.), which probably once belonged to a continuous prayer text. Very similar parts of the Rosary are located in the Cleveland Museum of Art (JH Wade Fund, 1952.277). 
Similarly designed elements were worn in the early 16th century as a necklace, like a Bartolomeo Veneto attributed Damenporträt in the London National Gallery (NG 2507) shows , LL