Set of 9 Venetian 6 layer chevron beads, 12mm long by 4mm diameter
It's hard to see the fine detail of the 6 layers without a loupe, but they are there
These are a bit of a mystery. They came off a strand in bought in West Africa in the early 1970s, but the unusual size, shape, perfect condition, and fact that they were un-ground (no chevron pattern showing on the sides), lead me to believe that they may have been made in more recently from antique canes.
It's a shame their finely detailed chevron pattern was not exposed, but even so these are interesting collectable beads, and/or a lovely color and shape for making necklaces or earrings.
I bought them a full decade before the Indians started making crude chevron copies and 2 decades before the Chinese started burst onto the market stunning new ones that could fool too many people.
We know there were still stacks of old canes in several bead factories in Venice and Murano in the 1970s.
And we know that recently they've been used to make beads, so I'm guessing that is also the source of these beads.
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