Original Message: "Padre Beads" |
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Found some strands of turquoise glass beads purchased from Hands of the Hills 25 years ago, likely collected in northern Thailand. Guessing these are Chinese wound beads - reddish brown dirt in holes, although many beads show sufficient wear to have clean holes and worn ends. Could also be furnace wound beads from China or India? Some of the most worn beads have comparatively large holes. At any rate, these appear very different from the European/African beads of turquoise glass. I know the legend of Chinese beads being brought over the Pacific via the Manila galleons, and their supposed use by the friars in the southwest missions, and the "chief beads" described by Lewis & Clark. While I doubt these old worn beads date to the 18th century, or even the 19th, if one were to guess what the actual old blue glass trade beads looked like, these would be them? All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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