Indonesian Bone Skull Bead

Ring of tiny carved skulls, white as chalk and lined up like beads.

This skull bead is from Bali, Indonesia, and is contemporary. It is cow bone. Bali has a long tradition of carving in wood, bone and stone, and its workshops produce beads and small sculptures of many kinds. Round strand of small chalk-white skulls, strung close together in a single loop. Each one has hollow eyes and a tiny nose notch carved clearly. The surface is smooth and creamy, with a soft glow. It is 0.5 inches long, 0.5 deep and 0.5 high.

A crowd of small skulls with impeccable manners.