Malian Strand of Beads

Chalky white barrels in a generous oval, tied at the top with a knot of pale fibre.

This strand of beads is from Mali, West Africa. It is glass. Glass beads have been made and traded across Africa and Asia for many centuries. Short, squat tube beads in matte off-white, irregular in length with soft, slightly chipped ends. Some are tinted grey or yellow by age. The strand hangs in a wide loop, closed with a twist of fibre.

Humble white, still holding its shape.