Wedding Trade Beads Globular Africa 24 Inch

Description

Title
Wedding Trade Beads Globular Africa 24 Inch
Type of Object
Molded glass
Made In
Europe
Traded In
Africa
Approximate Age
20th century
Overall Condition
Good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.
Damage/Repair
Surface scratches, chips, some pits
Bead Size
24 mm diameter. See picture with penny for size comparison.
Strand Length
24 inches (including string/raffia).
This strand is not intended to be a ready-to-wear necklace. Although the strand can be worn "as is," the raffia holding it together is not durable and may break with use. For this reason, we recommend that you restring the beads before wearing them.
Additional information:
"Wedding Beads" were made in the Czech Republic specifically for the African trade in the 1950s and started being exported from Africa to the US and Europe in the 1980s.
These beads come in several different shapes, colors and patterns. One of the most popular shape is the round tear drop. Another attractive shape is the flat tear drop. "Wedding beads" also were made as flat tabular shapes, stylized claw shapes and other varieties.
You can read more about these beads in COLLECTABLE BEADS (Liu) and you can see examples of them being worn in Africa in AFRICA ADORNED (Fisher).
**133624**
All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2021
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Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than 5,000 in charity auctions.
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Handling Time
: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours.
Returns
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Combining Shipping
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U.S. Shipping
: Our staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of labor and the special packing materials used is reflected in our shipping price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage. .
International Shipping
: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request.
Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.
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