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Details
LOT 2139
West African Terracotta Bead String Group
12TH CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
26 3/4 - 28 3/8 in. (72 grams total, 68-72 cm long).
Ten restrung necklaces composed of cream, beige and umber-coloured terracotta beads of various types, including tubular, rondelle, oval, barrel-shaped and others. [10, No Reserve]
Provenance
UK gallery, early 2000s.
Literature
Cf. Mann, R., ‘The history of beads in East Africa’, in Kenya Past and Present 2000, London, 2013, pp.36-47, fig.39, for similar.
Footnotes
Excavations along Kenya’s coast and on the offshore islands indicate a long history of importation dating back to the mid-9th century A.D. At Kilwa, beads found include terracotta, shell discs, carnelian, crystal and agate, as well as one red quartz bead and chlorite schist disc.
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