Malian Strand of Beads

Every shade of pale green, strung end to end like a long, quiet afternoon.

This strand of beads comes from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the early 1st century, in excavated glass, about 2000 years old. Excavated glass beads from Mali are usually understood as trade goods, and their colors were often prized in places where glass was not made locally. These are small, flat disc beads in soft green, ranging from sage to celadon, with a few touches of pale yellow and grey. The glass is weathered to a gentle matte, with occasional chips and pits at the edges. It is 14 inches long.

Green, in no hurry, and two millennia sure of itself.