Original Message: Re: "Ancient Saharan stone beads." |
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Hello Jamey, *African context: Yes, I got the beads used in this necklace along with other goodies from the area, from a West African dealer visiting Barcelona. **The(so called) Nepali beads, which are among my favorite beads for necklace making, are a world apart from the African ones. The Nepali discs (see image to the left) are very geometric, as if made on a lathe, with regular vertical edges, and they are comparatively large and thick, with diameters ranging from 10 up to 20(+) mm., whereas I have never seen African beads much larger than 10 mm in diameter. Also, the latters are thin, with edges dented, as if finished by hammering -- very much like the oldest specimens of ostrich eggshell heishi (see pic to the right). Some disc beads on the necklace that I posted before look indeed more like the Nepali discs, but they are consistently different, being made of carnelian. I am here interested in discussing the (mostly) black jasper (?) ones. All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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