Indian Silver Loose Beads

Dozens of pyramid-shaped beads, each stamped with dots like a tiny pair of dice.

This coin silver loose beads is from India, and dates to the 20th century. Silver beads have been strung into necklaces and bracelets across India for centuries, often made by hand and sometimes decorated by stamping or hammered patterns. A heap of squat, four-sided beads in a soft pewter tone, each face decorated with a raised triangle and rows of tiny dotted points. A small hole pierces the corners. The surface is worn and slightly dark in the recesses.

Mass production, done by hand, one dot at a time.