Photos

Comments

• 

  Toya February 6, 2015 at 4:35pm

  I love the wear and patina on this bead.
• 

  ingrid Langerak February 7, 2015 at 12:05am

  Dear Betty, I cannot say anything about this bead, I do have a couple of them or at least one, and I do not quite remember where I got it from either Ethiopia or an Afghan trader in Amsterdam.  I will have to look to find it or them and touch them and may recall, but even than I do not know anything about the way it is or was used.  from your pictures you maybe very well correct.  I know other rings, I will show tomorrow which are from the Jimma area and kept the strings of Jimma beads in place.

  Gr. Ingrid. I do like the bead with its high silver glow and it battered story to tell. They for sure didn.t reach Addis market except for an odd lost one. Maybe more to morrow.
• 

  Peter Hoesli February 8, 2015 at 3:17pm

  Dear Betty and Ingrid; This could be an Omani bead. Please have a look at the huge Omani necklace above. It has the same beads. They are also very very large. With kind regards. Peter
• 

  Betty February 8, 2015 at 7:13pm

  Thanks for the picture and your comment, Peter. You are right. It is well possible that these beads come from Oman or somewhere on the Arab peninsular. Only the treatment of the beads edges seems a bit different... This particular piece was actually acquired in Harrar - if I remember correctly. The only documentation of its use I could find is that shown below the second picture. It's Eritrean women wearing them as a hair ornament. However, these ladies also wear Nubian and Sudanese jewellery and bracelets that would also been worn by the Rashaida as there is a lot of trade going on with the coast... 
• 

  ingrid Langerak February 8, 2015 at 7:49pm

  Peter and Betty, I think  that Peter's photo shows its real origin.  Because like I wrote earlier, I have never seen it used in Ethiopia  except on the photo you  placed Betty, which I found very fascinating. And as I have gotten the beads via the Afghan trader  it sound sensible that its origin is in Oman and traded to different trade routes. How one simple bead can tell its story.

  Thank you Peter and Betty.