Ancient Excavated Islamic Period Blue Glass Beads, Some with Eyes - Rita Okrent Collection (AG219)

Lovely strand of 65 mixed worn ancient glass beads.

These ancient excavated blue Islamic beads are found in Mauritania and Mali, specifically in the caravan towns of Timbuktu, Mopti, Djenne and Gao. They vary in design and wear, patina and iridescence, and are somewhere in between 600-1000 years old (or more). They have been buried for hundreds of years and some have eyes and some may have once had eyes on them, or perhaps were made to be worn with eye beads. Blue is generally used traditionally for protection by Islamic and African societies and people, with or without the eye.

Bead sizes range from 9-17mm each. 24 inches of beads, 28 inches with raffia.

65 beads. At least 23 have eyes. Can be used with existing calcification or can be cleaned to find spectacular colors and translucence (on some beads).

These beads make lovely beads for any collector, or for design in earrings or necklaces. Really a very beautiful and useful set of beads.

Additional information:

As per bead expert, Jamey Allen: Islamic Period beads are ca. 1000 years old. Dating from between ca CD 900-1200. They might be as early as CE 700, and as late as 1400. 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 glassmaker for all of Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

As bead researcher and expert, Robert K. Liu writes in Ornament Magazine: “The term Islamic Period Glass Beads is used, similarly to Roman Period Beads, to classify groups of ornaments from specific geographic areas and time periods, with recognizable characteristics including patterns and techniques. In the case of Islamic glass beads we know they originated in the Middle East and flourished mostly between the seventh and twelfth centuries. Their designs display a wide mix of techniques and styles: millefiori/mosaic (including pierced mosaic pad beads), trailed, filigreed, combed, fused rods, segmented/blown, folded (an Islamic innovation, Holland and Holland 2006) and those derived from amulet shapes, like charm case beads with loops.”Islamic glass beads traveled from their sources of production in the Middle and Near East together with the expansion of Islam to North Africa, Southern Europe (Spain), India and the Far East and they reached areas well beyond Islam’s actual limits of expansion such as Northern Europe. They also flowed into Sub-Saharan Africa, where they were valued and cherished for centuries in the Malian ancient kingdoms as a symbol of status and played an important role in the communities’ rites and ceremonies such a burials, initiation or dowries.

Ancient Glass Item 219