Store Vintage African Trade Bead Necklace/Multi Strand Bead Necklace/Ethnic Jewelry/Vintage Beaded Necklace, Orange Beads

This majestic vintage African necklace, with 8 strands of vibrant orange glass trade beads, is a real stunner! The history of trade beads is as fascinating and varied as the people who utilized them. Trade beads were, as the name implies, a form of currency; exchanged between different cultures, beads enabled a connection between people who had no common language or traditions but were able to appreciate the beauty of beads as worthy of exchange and to communicate through them. Trade beads were usually made of organic, local materials – stones, shells, bones --- but, as human ingenuity progressed, beads of metal and glass appeared.

African use of trade beads has a complex history. African bead-making began over 10,000 years ago, used for adornment and trade. When Europeans glass beads began to arrive, many African tribes sought them as a sign of wealth and status, some reserved only for a king. Highly coveted Venetian beads served as “slave beads” because their value was exploited to procure Africans in the slave trade. Against this dark side of trade bead history, there is the rich tradition of African beading itself. Beads are created to be worn as jewelry, to decorate indigenous crafts, to be used in rituals, and still for trade.

This vintage African necklace is a beautiful rich orange, the beads designed to resemble coral. I love the touch of a few red beads to individualize the piece. The beads have a wonderful patina, as does the braided string closure, attesting to its age (likely 1950s-1960s.). With its 8 strands, it's a bold, statement piece!

Size: 26”

Details: Glass beads, brass, fiber closure.

50% of all proceeds will be donated to wildlife conservation organizations.

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Condition: Excellent vintage. Age appropriate patina/wear; no beads seem to be missing or broken.