Grab Bag Strands of Small Mixed Brightly Hued Ancient Nila Beads, Mali - Rita Okrent Collection (AT0698)

Gorgeous Mixed Brightly Hued Small Glass Nila beads, Mali.

For this listing, we will choose a mixed brightly hued strand from stock. These are selling out quickly.

These beads are great for design of all sorts of necklaces, earrings and bracelets, They are wonderful as spacers. They wear beautifully with their natural absorption of the body's oils.
22 inches of beads per strand. Strands sold individually.

Beads range from 2-4 mm on these strands. Mixed colors. Strands vary but are all nice.

More info:
Nila beads are the small Islamic glass beads than can be found in colors ranging from blue, green, red, black, white to yellow that are widespread in West Africa. They are also referred to as Indo Pacific or Trade Winds beads, in reference to the ocean streams and winds that, for centuries, were used by the Arab merchant ships bringing them from India to Africa. They often have oxidization patina from burial and age. Large quantities have been found along the river banks of the Niger river in Mali and buried in large quantities in clay pots, used as a form of currency. They are also found in the ground in parts of West Africa and Southeast Asia. The name "Nila" comes from the Sanskrit term for indigo.

As per bead expert, Jamey Allen: Islamic Period beads are approx. 1000 years old, dating from between ca CD 900-1200. They might be as early as 700 AD, and as late as 1400 AD. In 1400, Western Asian glass industries were destroyed by Tamerlane. And soon after, Egypt desisted as well. This is when Venice stepped in and became the glass maker for all of Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

 
Some useful reference articles:

https://theconversation.com/how-we-found-the-earliest-glass-production-south-of-the-sahara-and-what-it-means-142059

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gao

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_Empire

African Item 0698