Antique Venetian millefiore glass beads and Rashaida silver

This necklace uses some excellent 17th century Venetian millefiore glass beads comprising white spiral glass on black. They are particularly good example of this design of bead. Millefiore beads were used to trade gold, minerals, ivory and even slaves from West African chiefs who prized them highly because such technology did not exist at that time in Africa, and the chiefs used lavish strings of beads to demonstrate their wealth and power. The beads effectively became currency and were the basis of Venice’s great wealth and power from the 16th century. The spiral beads are combined with handmade silver from the Rashaida nomad who live in the region of the Eritrean/Sudanese border. This is an heirloom piece of jewellery.
Length: approx 44cm/17 inches