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Here's another view. Unfortunately the colour comes across lighter and brighter than in reality...
Thsnk you Betty for showing. It is hard for me to tell from the photo but I suspect it more to be resin than bakelite, bakelite shows a more smooth surface. Either way for the Ethiopian believers they are protective amulets. The shape and measurements of the bead is unusual and definitely worn as a single piece. Normally these shapes are either worn as one resin bead and two silver balls, or two resin bead with one large silver ball, long on a cord. The egg shaped beads are worn as a chain on a string mostly without silver beads. You are a good searcher and finder, you make a good team with Lynn. Gr. Ingrid.
Thanks so much for your comment, Ingrid. I am really happy with this find. Unfortunately I cannot tell what the exact material is. To me the material looks very similar to the cube shaped beads that were also quite common and which I have handled before.
But as usually I have more questions to pester you with: were resin beads locally made? And when combined with silver beads, what sort of silver beads (Muria?) were used? Right now mine is strung on a simple back rubber necklace, which is how it came. Doesn't look half bad, actually...
And thanks for the compliment, I am maybe a good searcher/finder, but I think Lynn is beating us all these days :-)
Betty this bead of yours is just worn single on a woollen cord. The cube ones goes with two silver beads, not mutia beads but a bit egg shaped with a file grain rings at he end. sometimes also facets. I cannot show you now.
The two often flat sausage slice type like three cm size by 1.5 cm they are on either side of a lovely large Somalian patterned bead. like smooth with some rows of salmiac shaped embossed. One day I will show you. This is the way I have collected my large red beads.( never in a string_
Ethiopia did make their own resin beads. Although I have never seen it their is a documentary on it, already done in 1968. And it seems the resin they collected from the tree were trees growing mostly on rock cliffs. and it was hazardous to pick the resin. Also my dark red cherry resin, is yellow inside and only the outer part is dark red because of it being heated by the sun and the skin. They also mostly were collected from the nomadic Afar an Issas who were and are(?) always travelling with their camels through the Awash valley into Somalia with trade . Slim and elegant moving people, I think.
Betty, my message about this seems to have been lost. Maybe I didn't press the right button. Just to say I would love to see it as a necklace. I'm sure the colour of the resin and the silver banding would look fabulous.
Thank you for your messages, Thelma and Ingrid.
I think I have seen the type of "Somali patterned" bead you describe, Ingrid. Hillary has some on offer at the moment- a year ago a narrowly missed five of them (one a bit damages) that were sold at a great price. When I enquired with the seller it turned out they had been part of a now ever so rare amber necklace (most likely from Harar or surroundings). The seller had taken the piece apart to sell the amber on its own. My heart was bleeding .... (not that I could have afforded the amber necklace, but what a pity to have a complete original piece and then take it apart!)
Interesting to learn about the local production of resin beads. And you are right about the Afar. Very beautiful, proud and also "stylish" people. I met some in the north of Ethiopia and later in Eritrea. Everyone seemed a bit scared of them as they have a reputation for being fierce and to defend their territories against trespasser also by violent means.
@ Thelma, yesterday I made a necklace with the pendant. It's just a try but I will post it for you to see...