Moon Beads, Jumbo, Antique Milky White Round Beads 20-35mm Diameter, 42-inch Strand
SKU: AFT-242
Sale price
$3,300.00
Shipping calculated at checkout
Out of stock
Description
- A truly extraordinary one-of-a-kind 42-inch long strand of Jumbo Moon Beads.
- The milky white to opalescent or "oparte" wound glass beads, mostly measure in the 30mm diameter range. The largest ones are 35mm and only 2 are smaller than 25mm diameter.
- They're called Moon Beads because they glow like the shimmering moon. I can vouch for the fact that it looks huge in the African skies far from light pollution
- The strand is also decorated with several mini necklaces of white hearts and seed beads strung between the large beads.
- Dating from the early 1600s to the mid-1700s these beads are in superb condition. A very few have small chips, mostly old, two have partial fault lines, and one opalescent bead has been painted white. The paint is now wearing off and can no doubt be removed entirely with care.
- These beads were traded by the Dutch explorers financed by the Dutch East India Company and have widely been credited to the Dutch. However, the Dutch were known primarily, if not exclusively, for drawn beads.
- These are clearly wound, and until some tangible archeological evidence for wound beads is unearthed in Holland, the origin of these remains a mystery. Germany and Venice are cited as possible sources, while Robert Liu, author of Collectible Beads, points to similarities with Chinese wound beads.
- Smaller versions of this type of bead aka "baby moon beads" were traded in East Africa, but the trader I bought this strand from found it in Nigeria and declares it to be by far the best he's ever seen, nor have I ever seen anything comparable.
- Today beads like this are sold individually for upwards of $100 each, but I'm hoping this extraordinary strand finds a new home before I have to consider cutting it.
- Only one available