Ancient Persian Glass and Pseudo Ancient Etched Agate
 Reference Page
-These attractive glass beads were found in West Africa but originated as bracelets in Iran
( Persia ) sometime within the 12th to 16th centuries. Prior to Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power, Tehran was one of the major centres of antique dealing. It is known that many kilos of ancient Persian jewellery pieces and fragments were bought to be sorted, joined, reshaped and re-drilled ( hence their tiny new holes ) and have redistributed over many continents .. although they are rare to find in quantity. Beautiful colours with multicoloured eyes on their edges.


Although these two bracelets date from Greco-Roman Egypt,
150 - 100 BC

This is probably how these beads would have appeared when in bracelet form.

Photograph courtesy of http://www.maltergalleries.com
For a comparison reference only
 

All are drilled with 2 mm holes along their lengths

29 x 11 x 9 mm

31 x 9 x 7 mm

27 x 9 x 6 mm

25 x 12 x 6 mm

24 x 12 x 6 mm

26 x 10 x 7 mm

23 x 10 x 5 mm

22 x 9 x 4 mm

24 x 10 x 5 mm

18 x 9 x 7 mm

16 x 9 x 8 mm

20 x 7 x 6 mm

Click HERE for a beautiful strand of similar glass

Supposedly Ancient Etched Agate beads found in Mauritania
Average size 12 x 8 mm with straight 2 mm holes


Bought to us by a Mauritanian dealer and which he had kept specially separate from his other Medievals, insisting they were very old and very special.

They didn't look that interesting until magnified on the scanner !!

Known by him and locally in West Africa as Hamada … their term for ancient Islamics … they are smooth to the touch even thought their surface layers display some crazing under magnification.

However it has been suggested by our friend James at www.garudatrading.co.uk
that these are not ancient, but newly-produced etched agate beads from Taiwan or China.
Thank you James.
 

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All these beads are shown for Reference Only

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