Ethiopian prayer beads - 1 - Photos

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Ethiopian prayer beads - 1

Posted by Eva Baby on November 22, 2013 at 6:42am

coptic, small (19 cm), eyebeads made of Wood, old and used, displayed on an Ethiopian Wood Icon (can be opened), beads size approx. 0,8 - 1,0 cm

Comments

Eva Baby November 22, 2013 at 8:35am

here with the open coptic Icon, which is painted in the typical Ethiopian style:
ingrid Langerak November 22, 2013 at 11:38am

Eva, I have never seen this before, they are copied from the eye-beads (the ones you have bought earlier).with an addition to get a flower image. I cannot place them. As a rosary there should be some beads placed in between of a different shape. I am afraid I place it more as patience beads. Do you feel any hand grease smoothness or so?

Whatever they are it has been carefully made.
Eva Baby November 22, 2013 at 11:49am

@Ingrid, I do not know, the beads are certainly imitating the eye beads, they are smooth, but I would not call them greasy. The seller was herself in Ethiopia and bought them along with a lot of other stuff. I have known her since years and she would not cheat, only that perhaps the Information given was wrong - this is possible. They are relatively loose on the thread and can be moved with about 1 cm space. The colours are not fresh (it has been used, one can see this). What are Patience beads?
ingrid Langerak November 22, 2013 at 12:02pm

Patience beads are what the moslem people use, like so many Turkish,Greek etc. So also in Ethiopia.

They can be of all kind of materials. In the olden days many were of small resin beads. (copal)
Betty November 22, 2013 at 12:09pm

Lovely and unique! The beads go well with your icon, actually, as the dots are reflected in the smaller dots in the painting. Well-chosen background, as usually. Like Ingrid, this is the first time I see such beads. It's great to learn something new every day. Patience beads is a term I have heard for Muslim prayer beads, but Ingrid will tell us... BTW, habe you asked the seller where in Ethiopia she bought them?
Eva Baby November 22, 2013 at 12:37pm

Thanks for your comments. I just saw the Pictures has been featured, thank you Sarah.

No, I have not asked her (yet) where in Ethiopia she bought them. She said they were coptic prayer beads....... Of course I can ask her, but at the Moment she is quite busy, so it may take a while. Possible that they are Muslim prayer beads - really I do not know. it is all possible. She is not an Ethiopia specialist, but travelled before mainly to West Africa .
Jose M. Pery November 22, 2013 at 7:59pm

These beads are very nice and joyful. Great pic as usual, Eva!
Eva Baby November 23, 2013 at 8:06am

@José - thanks a lot.

If I know more about them, I will come back to this, but it might take some time.