20 oval powder glass beads

Description

16 inches string (40 cm.), 20 powder glass beads with a 2-3 mm hole that accommodate thicker stringing materials as leather or hemp.
Size: 14-15 x 21-22 mm.

Recycled glass beads are made by crushing old glass (from old bottles, windows, etc) into powder, which s then heated and poured into clay molds. A leaf stem (cassava) is used to make a hole. As the beads are oven backed, glass fuses and the stem burn away.
The bead making technique has been used in Africa for centuries. It results in a beautiful, rough, primitive appearance with a texture similar to sea glass.