Fulani Brass Metal Beads Jk Brown Collection

Pictures are an example. Yours will be similar. You are purchasing one.

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

Fulani brass beads are traditional jewelry items worn by the Fulani people, who are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group found across West Africa. The Fulani are known for their rich cultural heritage and distinctive style of adornment.

Brass beads hold significant cultural and symbolic value among the Fulani community. They are often worn by both men and women as a form of personal ornamentation and to display social status. The beads are typically made from brass or brass alloys, which are known for their durability and attractive golden color.

Fulani brass beads come in various shapes, sizes, and designs. They can be small or large, cylindrical or spherical, and may feature intricate patterns or geometric motifs. Some beads are plain, while others are engraved or embellished with symbols that hold cultural meanings.

These beads are often worn as part of elaborate jewelry sets, including necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and earrings. They are commonly strung together using thread, leather, or wire, and may be combined with other materials such as cowrie shells, gemstones, or glass beads to create visually striking designs.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, Fulani brass beads also serve as a form of currency and can be used for trade or as a means of exchange in some regions. They are highly valued within the Fulani culture and are often passed down through generations as heirlooms.

Fulani brass beads continue to be cherished and celebrated as an important aspect of the Fulani people's identity and cultural heritage. They represent not only beauty and adornment but also pride, tradition, and a connection to their ancestral roots.

The term "Trade Beads" typically applies to beads made predominantly in Venice and Bohemia and other European countries from the late 1400s through to the early 1900s and traded in Africa and the Americas. Many of these beads have been attributed to being made in Germany, France and the Netherlands as well.

The heyday of this "trade" period was from the mid 1800s through the early 1900s when millions of these beads were produced and traded in Africa. The Venetians dominated this market and produced the majority of the beads sold during this time. The J.F. Sick and Co, based in Germany and Holland was one of the largest bead brokers/importers during this period. Moses Lewin Levin was a bead importer/exporter who operated out of London from 1830 to 1913.

The popularity of these beads was revived in the late 1960s when they began to be exported from Africa into the United States and Europe. The term "Trade Beads" became very popular during this time period and is still used for the same bead reference today. The millefiori beads were also called "Love Beads" and used in necklaces with peace symbols during the Hippie days.

As the popularity and availability of these old beads grew they started getting "named". We started hearing terms like "Russian Blues", "Dutch Donuts", "King Beads". Although some of these folklore names are totally meaningless...ie...."Lewis and Clarke" beads, they do describe a specific type of bead.

And today these beads are more popular and collectable than ever. Thousands of these beads are in private collections around the world. The African Traders are having to go deeper and deeper into Africa to find more of these beads and many styles which were readily available just 5 years ago are no longer seen today.

There are exceptional museum collections of trade beads at the Museum of Mankind in London, the Pitt River Museum in Oxford, the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Belgium, the Murano Museum of Glass in Italy, the Tropical Royal Institute of Amsterdam, the Bead Museum in Arizona, US and the Picard Trade Bead Museum in California, US to name a few.

One of the most intriguing aspects to these beads is how they have survived a hundred or more years of wear and the travel through at least three continents. Another mystery is who wore them before us and who will have them next.......after us.

Provenance: From the collection of JK Brown

AG0922