Red Baule Tamba Seed Bead Necklace

A "Tamba" is a collection of multi-stranded European glass seed beads, commonly known as "hanks." The beads are made in Italy and the necklaces are then assembled in Africa, generally by the Baule people. They were traditionally worn around the waist by women in the Ivory Coast during the pre to early 1900s, and they hold significant value among collectors. Today they can be worn as necklaces or belts, used for beadwork projects, or simply for collecting and admiring.

"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.

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