Necklace, Dangles - Vintage Czech brights

This necklace is made using vintage 18th century glass beads from the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia which have a glass-making history dating back to the tenth century. By the 17th century the Bohemians and Moravians had learned many of the bead-making secrets of the Venetians, the most prominent makers and traders of beads of their time. By the end of the 17th century, the Czechs were sufficiently organised to start trading their own beads abroad. These particular multicoloured beads of various shapes and sizes have been worn by the Hausa of Mali and right across West Africa where they are valued as symbols of wealth and beauty.
Length: 44 cm / 17 inches, lowest point approx 65 cm / 25 inches