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Ancient Mixed Agate and Antique Glass Bead Strand, Mainly Tubes and Bicones - Rita Okrent Collection (S574)

RARE FIND: only one in our inventory

Ancient Mixed Agate and Antique Glass Bead Strand, Mainly Tubes and Bicones

A 26-inch strand of 54 beads in ancient agate, rock crystal and antique glass, mostly hand-carved tubes and bicones with a few rounded tubes mixed in. Good for restringing or designing your own pieces, or for keeping as a study group of classic stone bead forms.

Why We Love It

Three classic shapes in one strand: short tubes, long tube and a gorgeous mix of bicone beads.

Lots of beads to work with in your designs.

Subtle but striking markings on this strand of beautiful beads.

Provenance: Timbuktu, Mali. Hand-carved in India for the West African trade.

Age: Ancient agate and rock crystal; antique glass.

Dimensions: Strand 26 inches- 66 cm, 54 beads, including 10 short tubes, 8–11 mm diameter; 10 longer tubes, 11–19 mm long; 25 bicones, 13–21 mm long; remaining beads include rounded tubes, some of antique glass. 

Condition: Worn smooth by centuries of use. One bead is damaged and one has damage at the end. Three have chips but remain very usable.

History: India’s stone bead making tradition reaches back thousands of years. For centuries, carved agate and rock crystal beads traveled from Indian workshops across to West Africa, where they served as currency, adornment and markers of status. Timbuktu, at the edge of the Sahara, was one of the great crossroads of that trade.

Stone Item 574

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