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Ancient Nila and Fouille Beads - The following pages contain some beautiful strands of rare ancient Nila and assorted coloured glass, stone and terra cotta beads from the Dogon Area of Mali.
Although popularly known as 'Nila' (which is an Arabic word for blue) there are many variations in colour and differing opinions as to their origins (see this informative article for further details). Most of these beads probably arrived in Mali around 1000 years ago, via the
ancient trade routes to Djenné .. from other areas of Africa, Europe and the Middle East .. many have been buried beneath the desert sands for centuries.
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