• Handmade Powder Glass Mock Coral Rounds by the Yoruba Tribe, Circa early 20th Century (Origin: Nigeria; Collected: Nigeria)
• Handcrafted Sterling Silver Extra Large Leaves and Rondelles from Hill Tribe of Northern Thailand
• Turquoise Round Gemstones
• Handcrafted Sterling Silver Toggle Clasp from Bali
• Sterling Silver Findings
• Length: 18.25”

N0908-128:

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MOCK CORAL ROUNDS: Coral, especially red Mediterranean coral, was highly valued in West Africa. Since genuine coral was difficult to acquire and expensive, many coral imitations were made out of glass in Africa. These particular beads were made by the Yoruba Tribe in Southwest Nigeria using the powdered glass method. The process begins with glass, usually scrap glass which is pounded or crushed into a fine powder. The glass is then poured into clay molds, which have cells poked into them for the beads. At the bottom of each cell is a small depression into which the leaf stem of a cassava plant is placed. The powder is poured into the molds in various ways, depending upon the desired design. Once a couple of dozen molds are filled, they go into crude ovens and a fire is lit in it for about an hour. The glass coalesces and the cassava stems burn out, leaving a perforation. When finished, the beads are shaken from the molds, cleaned and sometimes polished.