Necklace, Antique Sudanese & Masaai glass & silver

This very special piece is made using extremely rare and antique glass blue, green & yellow Aggri beads, passed down through generations and believed to have protective powers. In the 18th century a single bead could buy seven slaves! They were most likely brought to West Africa long ago from Egypt and were sourced in tombs on the Sudan/Chad border region. They are combined with Masai blue glass rings used in wedding necklaces, antique brown glass & Egyptian, Sudanese or Ethiopian silver. The brown glass beads were made in West Africa, most probably Ghana, by recycling beer and medicine bottles used by European traders, at a time when glass was unknown in Africa. The bottles were recycled by grinding them into a powder, melting the glass and re-forming them again. Most old Ghanaian glass beads worked in this way are blue, green or brown in colour because that was the colour of the bottles used by the traders.
Length: 44 cm / 17 inches