This is a blackish clay spindle whorl which was excavated from Mali. Although spindle whorls are often collected and strung like beads they are actually antique / ancient tools which were used for the utilitarian purpose of spinning thread by ancient weavers from the Niger River area and most especially the ancient city of Djenne. Spindle whorls have been used since 1000 AD. See 'Beads of the World' page 32 by Peter Francis. This spindle whorl is in good rustic tribally made and used condition with some wear to one end around the perforation. This specimen measures 1.45 inches long by 1.80 inches wide. Be sure to review these measurements and use a caliper to understand bead size before buying. I combine shipping on multiple buys so please be sure to stop by my ebay store Mountainamma's Marketplace where I have thousands of amazing items to browse through. Buyers of multiple items message me before check out for help combining shipping fees or use the request invoice button in the shopping cart.