Antique Ethiopian Muria wedding beads meet contemporary hand-made Krobo glass beads in this unusual necklace.
A traditional Muria wedding necklace from Ethiopia is typically a necklace of large metal, silver, or gold beads strung together with typical end cones, usually simply tied in the back. The four low-grade silver beads and the end cones are taken from an old Muria necklace in need of restringing.
The aqua blue large Krobo beads are made by today's artisans in Ghana, who keep the old traditions and create beads of a wide range of hues, reminiscent of the glass beads of old. The beads are treated to give them a look of the old beads. These beads were a gift from a new friend, and it is with gratitude that they were used in this design, where the old and the new meet to create a new contemporary look with the elements of the past.
The silver alloy beads are old and show their true age. There are expected dings and dents. One of the conical beads at the ends is missing its final ring on top. Such imperfections are normal signs of age caused by long years of wear and not a flaw.
The glass beads, although new, are made to look aged. The beads are chemically treated to yield a frosty patinated look, are not uniform in shape, and have a number of internal clacks that do not impact the integrity of the bead, and are reminiscent of the cobweb of small clacks in glacier ice in the sun.
The silver alloy beads are approximately 23 mm in diameter. The focal large glass bead is 25mm and the rest of the glass beads are about 20mm in diameter. The exact silver content of the alloy is unknown.
The small silver-toned spacers came from an old worn necklace that looked to me of Moroccan origin, but that is just a guess. Their composition is unknown, although they are likely to be low-grade silver.
The necklace is 26" long, although the chain in the back can be easily shortened in needed.
