A Short Strand of Ancient Excavated Islamic Period Translucent Blue Glass Beads 0472A-D

This listing is for a short strand of ancient Islamic Period translucent blue beads Excavated in the areas of D'Jenne and Gao in Mali and some in Mauritania, these beads likely began their life as evil eye beads, but on these beads, the eyes were not preserved. They are dated to Islamic Period, between the 8th and 12th century AD. A good reference for the history and excellent illustrations of these beads is a book by Augusto Panini "Middle Eastern and Venetian Glass Beads: Eighth to Twentieth Centuries" ISBN 9788861301641. When excavated, these beads are usually heavily covered with patina. The last photo of the listing shows what they look like before they are cleaned and preserved by a long and laborious process. Once cleaned, they are a stunning translucent blue color, with a greenish tint on some beads. There are 4 strand options available in this listing: Strand A 23 beads 10-16mm Strand B 17 beads 12-15mm Strand C 14 beads 9-14mm Strand D 10 beads 13-15mm Nicks, minor chips, and