Malian Strand of Beads

Deep ink-blue beads in a long, smooth sweep, with a few pale ones at the end.

This strand of beads is from Mali, West Africa. It is excavated glass. Glass beads were traded over long distances and turn up at sites across Africa and Asia. Small, rounded and slightly chunky beads in dark navy, matte and softly rubbed, run most of the way round. Near the open end a handful of white and grey beads break the colour. The strand hangs loosely.

One dark colour and the confidence to stick with it.