June 2022.

I first encountered these beads in 2008 at Jatajak Market in Bangkok, Thailand. They were being offered as "old beads from Afghanistan."

It was very clear to me that these were frankly new glass beads—but I was very interested to know whether they were made in Afghanistan (which would be news) or if they were actually from Indonesia (which I considered to be possible).

I would have bought some at the time, but they were expensive (being frankly new, and offered with a fake story). I tried to get a local friend to make a deal, and acquire a sample collection for me—but that did not happen.

Eventually, I did buy one at Tucson from an Afghan seller. This price was better, but still high for a new glass bead.

And since that I time I have been in-communication with a gentleman who says he operates the factory in Afghanistan, where new glass and agate beads are being manufactured. The agate beads are alarming—since they are very decent copies of Harappan carnelians from 4,500 years ago. (They are slightly "jazzy" but well-within keeping for that corpus of beads. And I believe I first saw the Afghan carnelians in a private collection some fifteen years ago—ALSO being misrepresented as "ancient.") I had to contemplate all this for a long time. (Years.) Because the copies were sooooo good, it seemed impossible they could be fakes. But, on the other hand, they were presented in matched sets, and looked very "fresh." So now, thanks to my informant, I understand that both glass and agate beads are being skillfully-made in Afghanistan.

JDA.

Hi Ali,
beads on the first picture I don't recognize. Probably modern fantasy, islamic oriented, beads.
The other beads are not older then two years, and made in East Java.

Hi Hans
thank you for your help.i am sure they are new.but for me is important to know if they are made in some where else (not Afghanistan)and i am wondering to see ethnic ones.
Ali

i've seen a lot of these roundish, collared and melon-shaped ones since before approximately 2012 in London via Afghani dealers. i agree they are certainly newly made but not so sure about Java because i saw none in Sarawak last autumn, although lots that resemble old indonesian types.

Have not seen the long ones before. The others I believe to be from Indonesia. Saw them directly from Indonesian dealers. I would not be surprised (general style and finish) if the long ones are from there too, but no at to be sure.

Hi Ali,
did you felt the beads in your hands or tick them on your teeth?
From the pictures, they don't look glass to me. The colors and the manner they were fabricated
remind me of Fimo, a kind of household furnace baked artificial clay. They are so one of a kind I don't know if it's possible to trace there origin. Love to hear more,
best wishes, Hans

The yellow says Borneo to me...

my reply was lightheartedly meant to suggest they would be intended for Borneo because yellow is such a popular colour there!
but more seriously there are many afghanistan "antiquities" dealers in London who carry some beads similar to the collared/segmented beads and spherical dragged/trailed ones - so can we say either (west) asia islamic or south china sea?
is indonesian any better description than javanese?