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Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?)
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Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/20/2014, 17:45:49

I should start this out by saying I took apart the Kiffa strand I have, and while I was sorting through the loose beads I found some that don't look like the other beads from the strand...this first bead isn't surface decorated like a Kiffa. Is it possibly Phoenician? Age? Appreciate the help

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Modified by Mel H at Fri, Feb 21, 2014, 01:40:34

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One more picture
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/20/2014, 17:47:07

9_006.jpg (105.1 KB)  


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Some others I could use help with
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/20/2014, 20:22:27

the ones sitting on the calipers I am pretty sure aren't Kiffa (the smaller one on the right has a translucent green core)...the ones sitting on the table I can't tell whether they're Kiffa or not...thanks again for any help

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more photos
Re: Some others I could use help with -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/20/2014, 20:24:09

here are a couple close ups of the larger of the two beads that were on the calipers

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The ones on the table (Near caliper) look to be Kiffa with European core. They are all beautiful.
Re: Some others I could use help with -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: jake Post Reply
02/20/2014, 20:47:12

www.nomadbeads.com

Modified by jake at Thu, Feb 20, 2014, 20:48:29

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Thanks Jake - last post for tonight - sweet repaired Kiffa
Re: The ones on the table (Near caliper) look to be Kiffa with European core. They are all beautiful. -- jake Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/20/2014, 21:16:51

I love this one, the top broke off of it so someone replaced it with a coral bead so it could still be strung. Repaired beads are well loved beads! Seems they have more soul than pristine beads, they've been around the block a time or two :)
Now off to finish my tea and surf through the archives.

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If only there was a Kiffa expert on this forum...
Re: The ones on the table (Near caliper) look to be Kiffa with European core. They are all beautiful. -- jake Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: jake Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:13:33

www.nomadbeads.com

Modified by jake at Fri, Feb 21, 2014, 12:14:21

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the top left bead in your picture
Re: Some others I could use help with -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 05:46:09

here is an old post about this type, your bead is heavily worn but it is the same type as pictured, click on the link for a brief description.....the remaining beads are powder glass decorated over European cores made in Mauritania, most probably pre 1970's

image


Related link: bead type

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Made in Oualata
Re: Some others I could use help with -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 06:23:42

usually referred to as Oualata types, they vary from the Kiffa (Muraghad) in size, simplicity and color, many are on foreign cores

image



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the left bead with red centre
Re: Some others I could use help with -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Stefany Post Reply
02/21/2014, 07:35:52

i have another almost the same, and i'm pretty sure the bead inside is a cylindrical Prosser bead-mine has the same colour/pattern decoration on top-



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Red bead with eyes
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 06:53:20

The red bead with eyes is an Islamic period eye bead, on most "trader" strands of Kiffa beads there were mixes, typically 80-100 powder glass Kiffa beads, 5-10 Islamic types and 10 or so Venetian with an occasional Czech bead thrown in as well. When I first started collecting, there were ususally 100-110 beads total per strand, in recent years the strands have been cut, added to, restrung and cut again....there currently is no rhyme or reason for how they are strung......in the past 10 years there has been a proliferation of damaged and repaired beads on the market strands, most poly-tri bead types are very poor examples of the type. It seems the better beads have been absorbed into private collections and what are on today's market are second and third rate examples. Many times there are some wonderful examples of Islamic beads to be found!



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Kiffa and Islamic beads
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 07:18:50

in the case of what came first, the chicken or the egg, we will probably never know! in the case of the Kiffa bead or the Islamic bead we can rest assured that the Islamic beads came first. Many Kiffa types copy the Islamic beads in color, pattern, shape and size, I consider the Islamic beads that resemble Kiffa beads pre-courser beads.....here is a shot I did for Ornament magazine with a side by side comparison of the 2 types. The Powder glass, Kiffa beads are the strand on the left side and the Islamic beads on the right.

image



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Thank you Thomas! Sorry for the late reply...
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:05:02

...I stayed up waaaaay too late surfing the archives to find out more about my new obsession (bad case of OCD, very dangerous in the bead world I've come to find!).
I wanted to let you know first off how grateful I am for all the information that has been deposited in the archives, with Joyce & David's help of course. One could spend days there and not see it all, pretty amazing stuff.
Anyway, I wanted to show you this little guy (and I do mean little, 15mm long by 8mm wide). It is a blue triangle with red eyes surrounded by white dots. I didn't see one of these in all my meandering last night, I'm guessing he's pretty rare? What say ye? (sorry for the picture quality)

Thanks again!
Mel

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Very nice and rare example of a fantasy Kiffa
Re: Thank you Thomas! Sorry for the late reply... -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:20:22

every now and then there is a design type or shape that does not fit into the commonly known categories, this happens to be one of these, a mix of design styles you won't see too often!



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Broken &/or repaired Kiffa
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:51:32

Here is a photo of the broken or repaired beads from this strand. Thankfully there are a lot more that have no damage, but there are some in here I really wish were in better condition...
More to follow, editing pictures is such a chore!

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More Oualata
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:55:02

here are some more Oualata types using all different colors of cores...I thought it was interesting to learn that the cylinder Kiffas have two and sometimes three European beads inside as the core rather than powder glass, I can actually see that in some of the cylinders I have, the surface is bumpy from the beads inside, and one is broken so you can see the bead inside...

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the lonely blue, bottom right is the Oualata
Re: More Oualata -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: TASART Post Reply
02/21/2014, 13:03:21

the lonely blue, bottom right is the Oualata, the rest are typical rounds



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Re: the lonely blue, bottom right is the Oualata - ah, I'm learing
Re: the lonely blue, bottom right is the Oualata -- TASART Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 13:10:25

so just because they have a European core bead doesn't make them made in Oualata? Is it because of the thickness of the powder glass? The one you point out as Oualata has an "all-over" layer of powder glass and the others are just surface decorated. Thanks for the education Thomas, this is priceless!



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Unbroken or really well repaired Kiffa
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 12:57:49

here are the unbroken beads from this strand...the large polychrome triangle has a very nice repair which is almost undetectable...

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Re: Unbroken or really well repaired Kiffa
Re: Unbroken or really well repaired Kiffa -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 13:00:22

a couple more shots of the big repaired triangle 26mm x 18mm

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OK that picture didn't work, let's try it again
Re: Unbroken or really well repaired Kiffa -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 13:02:00

2_018.jpg (130.5 KB)  


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Reground core Kiffas - and I'm done for now
Re: Ok, I know it's not Kiffa (or is it?) -- Mel H Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Mel H Post Reply
02/21/2014, 13:06:08

thanks for bearing with me, I'm just a little enthusiastic about these beads if you couldn't tell ;o)

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