Blue Dogon Marvered Trade Beads 33 Inch

The hot-worked glass technique known as "Marvering" involves rolling a soft, molten glass on a flat stone or iron surface. This technique, first developed by the Romans, remained popular in late antiquity and was used to create a variety of objects, including everyday vessels, cosmetic flasks, and weights.

These Dogon beads are rare.

"Trade Beads" refer to beads primarily produced in Venice, Bohemia, and other European countries from the late 1400s to the early 1900s, traded in Africa and the Americas. The peak of this trade occurred from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, with the Venetians dominating production. J.F. Sick and Co. and Moses Lewin Levin played significant roles as bead brokers/importers. The beads gained renewed popularity in the late 1960s when exported from Africa to the U.S. and Europe. The term "Trade Beads" became widely used, and they were also known as "Love Beads" during the Hippie era. As demand grew, specific names like "Russian Blues" and "Dutch Donuts" emerged, contributing to the beads' collectability. Today, these beads are highly sought after, with some styles becoming rarer as African traders venture deeper into the continent to find them.

This strand is not intended to be a ready-to-wear necklace. Although the strand can be worn "as is," the string holding it together is not durable and may break with use. For this reason, we recommend that you restring the beads before wearing them.

Strand Length: 33 inches (includes string/raffia)
Bead Size: 10-16 mm diameter. See picture with penny for size comparison.

150066