Large Mali Wedding Beads, Old Bohemian Glass, Mixed Lot of 8

Mali wedding beads, bulb-shaped

made from glass and believed to have originated from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) in the 1900s and used in trade with Africa

they were particularly cherished in West Africa where glass-making was unknown at the time. In northern Mali among the Fulani, it is traditional to present them to a bride on the eve of her wedding day and got passed down the generations.

approx 24 mm long,

made of glass, they have a lovely, smooth finish.

the widest of the bulbs is about 14 mm wide

the holes are approx 1-1.5 mm wide

great for necklaces and earrings