| Original Message: Re: White Indian Agate Beads |
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Hi Linda, These beads were a staple product from the time African beads began to be brought into the US by the tons, in the early 1970s. Although they were fairly consistently represented as "antique," I am more inclined to suspect these are early 20th C beads; or from the very late 19th C. at the earliest. They were plentiful and not expensive. My impression is that they were more of a glut on the market. And rather few collectors have made them "desirable," to instigate a fad. In my opinion, the beads themselves are rather pedestrian. There is almost no attempt to cut the stone to create an artistic appearance. I would say they were cranked-out. I do not associate them with Nigeria. But it is possible they were readily available across West Africa, and that many societies may have had them. (Again suggesting they are fairly recent.) White is a desirable color for juju beads; and Nigeria is one place where juju has remained somewhat popular. I couldn't rule-out Nigeria. But, from the period I am thinking of, not a lot of stone beads from Nigeria were available. (The exceptions would have been beads actually made in Nigeria—such as the jasper Lantana beads.) Be well. Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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