| Original Message: Re: Greenstone Beads and "Mali Wedding" beads |
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Dear DC, I was first exposed to amazonite beads from Morocco and Mauritania in the mid-to-late 1970s. At that time, I was too poor to buy any—but I saw some great stuff. In particular, I knew a woman in San Francisco who had a HUGE quantity of them. For a few years she did lots of designs, combining these beads with Moroccan coral, amber, and silver. In the 1980s, I managed to buy a strand that I still think is on par with any beads I have seen—being a good strong color (bright dark bluish-green, and tending to not be patchy or pale). So I'm pleased I have one group of these beads in my collection. I have shown them in the past (here or at NBS). Over the years, I have seen a broad variety of "amazonite" beads from this region—including beads that are actually quartz or serpentine, and mistakenly called "amazonite." I have consistently corrected this mistake whenever I have seen it occur. The materials range from pale to dark, variegated or clear, patchy (mostly white or pale with blue/green spots), and of course, sometimes combinations of these different sorts in one strand. Also a variety of shapes and sizes. I like this stuff, and I have given it careful consideration. In the late '80s or early '90s, a new and different brand of "ancient amazonite" beads appeared in the marketplace out of Mauritania. These were fairly crude green beads, ALWAYS marketed as "ancient." However, they have large straight perforations and generally look a bit mechanical—and have been available in big quantities. I was the first person (and almost the only one) to say these are fakes. That is, they are new beads, made to resemble and passed-off as "ancient beads." Again, I have discussed this online a number of times. I suspect this may be local material..., but who knows? I have seen some newly-mined Mauritanian amazonite about ten years ago—and it was bright blue, like colorful turquoise. At the Tucson show this year, I was shown some very beautiful new amazonite beads from Morocco, that are the more traditional color, being bluish green and darker, but still new and colorful looking. Until quite recently, I do not recall ever seeing any "Mauritanian amazonite" beads that appeared to be brightly colored translucent material that looks like chrysoprase. I can't say there weren't any. But I hadn't seen them. Over the past five years (+ or -), Chinese beads that are entirely foreign to Africa, have been sent to Africa, and then sold as "African beads." This was not an issue, or at least not much of an issue, before that time. But it IS an issue NOW. Along with this globalization of new beads, there is probably also the possibility of Africans acquiring rough material (as from China and anywhere in the world, but most likely passing through Chinese hands at some point), that they will then make into beads. Without a doubt, these are "African beads." But as newly-made beads they are certainly NOT "ancient beads." (In truth, no one knows how old ANY of the "Mauritanian" or "Moroccan amazonite" beads may be, even if they are old and called "prehistoric" or whatever.) We recently had a parallel discussion of this issue, in relation to lapis lazuli and sodalite beads from Mauritania—these being nontraditional beadmaking materials in this region. Again, I suspect this is new foreign material, perhaps brought in from China, the Tucson Show, or who knows where...? When I see a new bead from a market with which I am familiar, a bell goes off..., and I have to consider that it may be ENTIRELY new. That is, made new, and made from newly imported foreign material. That is the basis of my previous point. Regarding the so-called "Mali wedding beads" that are new reproductions from the Czech Republic (for the most part)— I wish I had time to discuss this in some detail. But I am trying to leave the country tomorrow. I think it may be a mistake to think of Czech products as made for such a small audience of receivers. They make products and market them wherever they can sell them. It just happens that the "light-bulb" and flat triangular pendants took-off in the Sub-Saharan area of West Africa. To some degree, these glass items copy German agate items, that are also popular there. And the German stuff copies earlier things from India. But that doesn't mean the Czechs "made these things for Mali." I think the prototypes for the light-bulb pendants may be the separating beads made (in other materials) for Muslim prayer strands. These have a history that may be around a thousand years old. I know of similar shapes (also for Muslim prayer strands) made from phenolic plastic too. Although they are intended to be used in pairs, dividing plain beads into three sections (for the traditional Muslim rosary), I have seen whole strands or necklaces of these pendant beads. Anyway, I hope this is food for thought. Back to packing. Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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