Description

African men’s necklace, handmade with rustic cut cow bone beads and, as focal point, a wood bead with bone inlaid made by the tribe of Tuareg, Mali.
All beads are made manually and no one looks the same.

The cowrie shell is thought to be one of the world’s oldest currencies. In Ancient Africa, they were traded for goods just like the dollar is today, and their use quickly spread to other civilizations.
Royals from African and American cultures also wore rows of these shells to signify wealth, prosperity, and protection. According to the ancient Hausa proverb: “Whoever is patient with a cowrie shell will one day have thousands of them”.

Length 20 inches = approx. 51 cm., 22 inches = 56 cm., 24 inches = 61 cm., 26 inches = 66 cm.