| Original Message: Mystery Beads! |
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I am not sure about the metal beads to the left - but the "number 5" (Fatimas Hand) in form of "eyes" let me assume a Muslemic origin. The bead to the right is definitely special, though a well-known design, one that might be a precursor of the authentic Morfia. Since the Morfia is supposedly from 800-900 AD, I suspect this variety to be older. That is not knowledge - just my assumption based on the visible facts. My hypothesis, in other words! Since most people assume the authentic Morfia (see photo) is a product of al-Fustat/Egypt (old Cairo) - an assumption based on the finds of Scanlon and Pinder-Wilson, I assume - I get another chance to say that Fustat was most likely (actually "definitely not" in my opinion) NOT the inventor nor the producer of the Morfia, a bead extremely appreciated in Mauritania. Instead al-Sham (in Arabic), or the Levante as "we" say - of which the Syrian coast is a part - was the most likely producer. The same industry that might have made your bead. I hope to present some lab-data soon, that may serve as ultimate proof that Syria, not Egypt has made the MORFIA. No matter that Scanlon and Pinder-Wilson were able to produce a few (Morfia) beads and a piece of a cane to produce them, during their work in Fustat. We only have to look at the other beads Fustat has made to understand that the advanced technique to craft a Morfia was not available to them. While this, the latter, is just my personal opinion, the lab results will proof right from wrong! All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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