Silver Beaded Necklace, Yemen

Silver you can hear before you see it.

This beaded necklace comes from Yemen and is made of coin silver in the 19th century. Yemeni silver jewelry, much of it made for women, was traditionally worn as adornment and is often associated with dowry and family wealth. Large round beads, some plain and some incised with crossed lines, alternate with ribbed spacer links and a pair of tapered end tubes. The surface has a soft grey-white patina with lighter, rubbed highs.

About 22 inches long. Heavy enough to make an entrance, quiet enough to sit on a bust.