Mixed Small Excavated Glass Nila Beads in Green, White and Brown - Rita Okrent Collection (AT1811)

A 24 inch strand of mixed ancient glass nila beads from Mali. The highlight of this strand is the presence of the lovely green glass nila beads mixed in with the well preserved white glass nilas. The brown worn nilas are earthy and useful as neutral spacers.

Bead size ranges from 4-6mm.  24 inches of beads.
Circa 1200-1600 C.E.

More info:
Nila / dardig beads are the antique and ancient 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 sometimes 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 research and technology evolves, there is a greater ability to verify glass bead making by local manufacture in West Africa.
Some useful reference articles:
https://theconversation.com/how-we-found-the-earliest-glass-production-south-of-the-sahara-and-what-it-means-142059

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317775780_Ancient_History_of_Technology_in_West_Africa_The_Indigenous_GlassGlass_Bead_Industry_and_the_Society_in_Early_Ile-Ife_Southwest_Nigeria

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

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

African Item 1811