Ethiopian Strand of Beads

Chalky white barrels strung in a loop, softly knotted at the top.

This strand of beads is from Ethiopia, East Africa. It is glass. Glass beads were often traded as currency and ornament, and strung in strands for wearing. Short, rounded cylinder beads in off-white, matte and slightly powdery, with irregular ends and sizes that wander along the strand. The ends are tied in a small knot of pale fibre. Soft grey marks show on a few beads.

Pale, plain and entirely at ease.