This stunning strand of 44 cobalt blue and clear beads, many perhaps dating to the 1700s, was carefully selected from numerous strands over 50 years of collecting. I'm parting with them only because I'm 89 and my kids aren't interested in old beads. The beads are strung to be worn and are guaranteed to turn heads.
This bead type was among the first to be traded into West Africa by Dutch mariners, beginning in 1598. Due to the popularity of these early Dogons, later versions were made in various European countries, including Germany and Bohemia. The Dogon people are an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali.
The strand measure 23 inches in length. The largest clear bead is 3/4 inch in length and diameter. The largest blue is smaller in both dimensions by a mere 1/32 inch.
I'm selling my entire collection of glass, stone, shell, bone, metal, leather, wood, and fiber artifacts, accumulated over 50 years, because I turned 89 in January and finally realized I can't take it with me. Along the way, I've picked up a lot of information and lore which I'm happy to pass on to people who share my love of these historically important objects.