A few lucky souls in the Phoenix/Glendale, Arizona area met with Ebrima Sillah last evening.....Stick a fork in me....I'm DONE!!!! Aside from the usual really cool stuff he is lugging to Tucson, he has with him 11 of the most impressive strands of Murakad/Kiffa beads I have seen for sale in ages!!! They are from an older collection from the US that is now being broken up and sold. The strand price is $2,500 per.!!!
Which, of course, seems outrageously high until you study the strands up close and realize that at least 6 of the strands have beads that may never be available again and the other 5 have beads that are typically sold only per bead and not by the strand. Several hours of wiping sweat and drool were spent by me examining these very carefully and I did find beads amongst them that I had never seen before in person. This is by far the largest collection of impressive Kiffas I have seen offered for sale in many years. Oh to be a RICH collector (thinking aloud while looking at them). I believe he will sell most of them at the show, just because of the rarety and beauty of them. Please this by no means a commercial for Ebrima Sillah (who sets up at the Roadway around the corner from Abdul) but a recommendation to visit with him and have him show you these strands before they are all gone again (tell him Thomas sent you). I don't know of a museum or other venue that has this many in one place for viewing!
I know I'm biased when it comes to my love for Kiffa beads, be that as it may, this collection is worth seeing!
Thomas