~ 20" Strand of Striped Trade Beads ~ West Africa ~

Length: 20"

Grade: 10

Description: A 20-inch strand of classic Rattlesnake Venetian Trade Beads, consisting of 62 hand-wound glass beads. The white zig-zag lines were applied by dragging a thin white glass stringer across the black base while the bead was still hot. This method was most heavily produced after 1880, when African demand for “fancy wound beads” exploded.

Provenance: Found on private property with permission. Found on west coast of Africa