Black Small Ancient or Antique Drawn Beads from West Africa
These small drawn glass beads came with a lot of ancient excavated "Nila" beads from Mali and were referred to as Nila beads as well. However, according to the expert opinion, the black color is highly unusual for the Nila beads - which are typically blue, teal, and sometimes green or yellow. These may be indo-pacific beads, or possibly early Venetian trade beads.
The beads are approximately 2-3 mm in diameter. The strands are approximately 22" long. The 2-3 mm bead strands have about 180 beads per strand, These beads make excellent spacers, and are coveted by jewelry designers.
Most photos show multiple strands. The price is per strand.
Weights and sizes are approximate.
IMPORTANT NOTE. In the world of beads, and especially ancient and antique beads, errors in identification are common. We do our best to research and classify our beads accurately, however mistakes are certainly possible. If you are a bead expert and notice any errors in description, we invite you to please contact us and let us know. We are always grateful for any new information. We also accept returns no questions asked. See our Return Policy for detail.
COLORS: Our photos are taken in different lighting in an attempt to show how beads look in different lighting conditions. We make every effort to show colors as accurately as possible. The white background photos are taken in daylight conditions. The black background photos are taken in the strong lab light, and would be representative of what they would look like in the evening electric light. Some of the photos are backlit to emphasize their translucency. Note that monitor settings strongly affect the way the colors look. What you see on your monitor may differ from what you see with a naked eye depending on your monitor settings.
WE COMBINE SHIPPING and will refund any overage. Contact us when placing the order and we will work with you to ensure the best available shipping cost.
