Featured African (?) Bead and Bone Necklace

One of today's finds...this looks African in origin to me. I am hoping to narrow down to a region or country? The piece at the bottom does not open.



...aiaiaiaiaai (or however you spell it)...just went to measure it...here is what it looks like now! Approx 24" in length (before breakage). Hope I have found all the pieces!

 

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I know!!!!! Thank you for your commiseration!

 

Nice!

 

On the positive side at least it broke somewhere where you can hopefully find all the bits rather than outside.

 

Ouch. It looks like the sort of thing I take apart and remake or at least restring. Those cotton cords ... well, those cotton cords is all I can say about them.

 

Nice beads. Definitely African and the bottom piece is an Ethiopian telsum.

 

Actually think all the metal beads are Ethiopian.

 

I agree, Ethiopian telsum pendant and metal beads. The glass beads are trade beads from different countries. The bone beads could be locally made or trade.

 

Agreed; telsum, Ethiopian, possibly coin silver with rectangular tubes, black glass (actually the deepest purple), with eyes; most likely Venetian, but could be Bohemian, African assembled.

 

It's a VERY special necklace. The rectangular tube beads

A very special necklace, actually; the rectangular tube beads are, am 99% certain, Venetian, c. 1900 or earlier and the center glass bead from which the Telsum hangs, is a fancy Venetian flower bead (c. 1880) that some collectors would die to have because the flower is stemmed....some say it's a "ghost bead." Poppycock; the beadmakers of then were highly skilled and detailed. If they'd want to have made a ghost, it would have clearly a ghost! LOL

The telsum are quite collectible, especially if this one has a high silver content. They can go for $45 for a 16 inch strand of low quality to $35US per pair for .925 silver. Here's one site's take: https://www.thebeadchest.com/collections/ethiopian-telsum-beads#readmore

Other research I've done over the years indicate one of these was given by older relatives to a youngster for each year upon his/her birthday. Some were thought to have contained little prayers. Each was always handmade. Realize, however, there are copies.

A pretty sweet piece! Congrats.

 

PS: That single flower bead is worth at least $25US.

 

@Kathy Anderson Thanks for this additional info! I did notice that center bead was different. I really didn't think the beads were glass but it seems they are after a closer look I was able to get since the darn thing fell apart! Thanks again!