African beads: African people have used beads for ritual and decorative purpose for hundreds of years. In ancient African graves, beads and beaded necklaces have been found buried with kings and chiefs. The Ashanti reasoned that powdered glass beads were worth their weight in gold and that certain beads held supernatural protective powers. The Yoruba people believed that buried beads would grow in the ground and multiply. The most popular trading items brought over by the Europeans in the 16th century were beads and thousands of pounds of beads were exchanged. Until the 20th century no other continent imported as many beads or yielded as many different types of its own. The abundance of the shear variety of shapes, colors and materials used is overwhelming. None though is as popular as the glass bead. The traditional glass bead practice thrives in West Africa. Today, the Krobo people of Ghana, noted bead makers, melt powdered glass in small bead moulds to form their beads. The selections on display were hand cast and hand painted by these experts. The beads have a semi-translucent quality that highlight the painted motifs. These beads are very attractive and will serve any outfit worn very well!

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Dimensions: 13 1/2 inch hang length. There are at least 55 beads on each necklace.

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