Mens Bead Bracelet, of old Mali glass trade beads on 22cms length Silver “rope” chain.
These black-core glass trade beads were produced in huge quantities in the 19th.century on the islands in the Venice Lagoon, specifically for the sub-Sahara Africa trade, as barter goods. Timbuktu in Mali was a major trading entrepot, a pivot of business in the 1800s between the Mediterranean and the mysterious lands beyond the Sahara, and bartering items such as these Venetian glass trade beads were stored there in quantity. In the 21st.century Timbuktu is the major repository of this bead type.

Much of the production of this Venetian glass bead was crude, but with some runs more care was taken, as is the case with the well-matched lime-green beads in the above Mens Bead Bracelet.

All Venetian glass trade beads were created with large holes, to allow ease of threading on fibre twine; this allows ease of threading on a Silver “rope” chain, like the above. One end of the above chain will unscrew, allowing for all sorts of versatility.