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Strand of African trade glass beads ant.

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Mali

Width: 13 mm

Height: 180 mm

Weight: 66 grs

MD1114-030
€240.00


A superb strand of antique African trade glass beads from differente origins: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Ghana and Europe, among other. A colorful and awesome combination of patterns (millefiori, feather, etc), colors and shapes of captivating beauty and originality.

 

Beads have fascinated men all over the world for thousands of years. From the simplest ones made of clay, bone or horn to those made of metal, amber or glass or the most luxurious ones using precious stones and metals and where the result may sometimes be true pieces of art. Phoenicia, India, China, Rome, Tibet, Egypt, Mali, the Middle East, Mauritania, Venice, Persia, South America. You name it. Africa is not an exception to this. For centuries beads were used in Africa not only as pieces of adornment or status but, in many cases, as currency to trade a vast array of commodities (gold, ivory, exotic wood, etc.). Europe supplied the continent for hundreds of years with beads made in Murano, Bohemia, Germany, etc that mixed with those produced locally and others coming from lands farther beyond. All these beads, their awesome variety of designs, shapes, qualities, techniques, colors, material and origins have created a fascinating world that still subsists today and where we are not only captivated by what meets our eyes but also by the long and amazing  history behind. 

 

 


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