I am surprised by this comment.

I believe that "morfia" beads are actually found in Mali—just as they are recovered in Mauritania. But it would not surprise me if these (and any beads) cross borders from one country to another, and in either direction. "Morfia" are Medieval beads (or Islamic Period beads), and might be found anywhere that such beads have been buried or kept for a long time. Don't you imagine that they are recovered in the desert, from places where they were secreted and buried—and that this happens in many places in Africa (?)—and that it happened a lot in West Africa, because these are the places where Islamic merchants went 1000 years ago—to the old great Kingdoms and cities of great renown. This is why old beads are recovered at Niger River sites in Mali (like Jenne, Gao, and Timbuktu).

I have to wonder, if morfia are so valuable in Mauritania, how can they be sold for less money out of Mali? (Yes, it does happen—and this is why I think it's just as likely that morfia beads from Mali travel to Mauritania, where a better profit can be realized.

It is fairly well demonstrated that morfia and dar vakron beads originated in Egypt, and specifically from the Fustat glass industry. (Not to say similar beads weren't also made elsewhere in the Middle East at the same time, more or less.) They were exported as far East as Afghanistan, and as far North-by-West as Scandinavia. And Afghanistan is still a source of these beads, as I have documented many times. These days, I'll bet it goes like this: beads from Afghanistan go to the Arabian Peninsula, where they are acquired by Africans who are there to do the Haj. The Africans take the beads back to Mali (or wherever). Then "Afghan 'morfia'" become part of the corpus of "African" beads. It would not be limited to morfia, of course. But Africans would probably first select beads they recognize and know will be desirable back home. Then, they also bring stuff that is exotic and interesting. (This is why we now see Middle Eastern beads coming out of Africa, that were never seen from Africa over the past thirty-something years that African beads have been coming to us.)

Mauritanian morfias are probably not "finished." There may be a slump. But eventually, the desert dwellers will find more. Or people will bring in more. Ten years ago, a certain German collector I know intended to travel to Pakistan (where the majority of Afghan beads were being marketed then), specifically to buy beads to sell in Mauritania, and specifically morfia and fakron beads. I don't think this could possibly have been a new idea. It was not conceptually new to me—so I didn't think it was a stretch.

Over the past five years, I have noticed a lot of Afghan beads suddenly coming out of West Africa. Stone beads particularly. Lately, Africans we know are bringing Yemeni coral and silver necklaces out of Arabia, to become part of their inventories. I understand some of these coral beads are now sold to Tibetans (to replace old beads that were looted or sold a long time ago).

Bead do move around a lot. And Africans move a lot of beads.

Jamey