74 vintage sand cast glass beads

Description

Whole string of 26 inches (66 cm.), 74 powder glass beads, hand made in the Ashanti region and not in production anymore.
Bead size: 8 mm.diameter x 10 mm. (from hole to hole), with a 2-3 mm hole that accommodate thicker stringing materials as leather or hemp.

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.