Photos

Comments

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  Joost Daalder July 10, 2011 at 2:45pm

  Very pleasing colours and patterns!
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  Eva Baby July 12, 2011 at 9:01am

  Very nicely created!  I love vintage spindle whorls, are they from Mali?
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  Luda Hunter July 12, 2011 at 10:39am

  These are a mystery to me Eva, I purchased the strand in Istanbul and the beads are quite small - average 10 x 15mm and 20 x 15mm unlike the Mali spindle whorls which tend to be quite large. They also have quite a green hue to them which is difficult to capture on camera.
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  Eva Baby July 12, 2011 at 10:46am

  @Thank you for the explanations. Sometimes mysteries are also wonderful!
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  Jamey D. Allen July 12, 2011 at 2:05pm

  I was expecting to see a variety of pre-Columbian spindle-whorls--since these are statistically the most numerous of such artifacts.  However, I would guess these are African, and perhaps Nigerian (if they are not actually a heterogeneous group).  Such assemblages can be whorls and/or ceramic beads, typically with a coarse black or dark gray fabric. They are often represented as "old" or "ancient"--though I don't know of any information that would substantiate that proposition. I have seen HUGE specimens in the inventories of African traders.  There are some strands in the collections of The Bead Museum.  Jamey  P.S.  I just read the previous replies below--with a statement that these whorls are rather small.  (This demonstrates well that rulers and posted measurements can be VERY helpful).  I can imagine an Asian origin for the gold beads--and perhaps I should have taken this as a clue.  I'll have to ponder this more......
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  Joost Daalder July 12, 2011 at 2:24pm

  I have no idea what these are - but as I said below, I do like them aesthetically.
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  Stefany Tomalin July 12, 2011 at 2:27pm

  there are one or two that might not be clay but blackened lathe-turned bone. Its hard to see but i noticed a barrel-shaped collared one near the centre of the image which appears to have a bit of damage at one end that is not characteristic of clay. Also as it was purchased in Istanbul its just as likely to have come there from further east...