Watermelon Beads, Teal, Cylindrical Shape About 15x8mm, Strands of 20 Beads
SKU: AFE-435
Sale price
$24.00
Shipping calculated at checkout
Only 2 in stock
Description
- These beads are sold by the strand of 20 beads
- Antique Venetian teal color tube shaped "watermelon" beads 15x8mm
- Well matched beads in very good condition
- The teal color is quite rare among African trade beads and this shape is very rare among "watermelon" beads.
- Watermelon beads are actually 4 layer chevrons, which you can see if you look carefully at the ends. The layers are white, brick, white, teal. If the ends of these beads had been ground down they would show the chevron pattern clearly
- The name, Watermelon, comes form the fact that the points of the white layer under the teal show through the teal layer, resembling the longitudinal alternating light and dark green stripes on a watermelon.
- These beads were made during the early 1900s, primarily for the African trade.
- These days, this shape, as well as the oblate and oval versions of with any color base and any color stripes, are now generically called "Watermelon beads"