| Original Message: Mace heads, and Ivory |
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Occasionally, from recovered antiquities, there are large constructions that look for-all-the-world like gigantic beads. Beads for elephants? But, in fact, they generally have some other utilitarian or even ritual purpose. In the instance of the top photo here, we see two specimens of mace heads, carved from hard stones, on handles (that are probably reproductions). Mace-head-beads (if we may call them that) were imported from places such as (present day) Romania to the west. Ivory was also a much admired material, and in the lower image we can see examples of both tusks from elephants and hippo's teeth. The huge curved tooth in the upper region is a hippo tooth. I recognize it because I own a specimen myself, and I have documented a few artifacts made from these (from Africa). Some of the smaller teeth piled together (in the foreground) are also from hippos. JDA. All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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