ANCIENT AFGHAN BEADS
Most of the beads displayed in this
section are sourced from the area around Balkh in North-East Afghanistan.
In opposition to neolithic beads from Africa, these
beads are truly ancient.
Neolithic beads from Africa can be as 'young' as 600
years.
NEOLITHIC PERIOD
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The beads in
my collection
are now for sale
Inquire
through bead ID
for price
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Afg 1 - 31 * 18 * 9 mm
SOLD
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Afg 2 - 28 * 20 * 10 mm
I have seen exactly the same
specimen in Moroccan Sahara
SOLD TO TOD K.
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Click on pictures for larger images
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Afg 3 -
29 * 11 mm - SOLD
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Afg 4 -
23 * 18 mm
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Afg 5 -
37 * 13 mm - SOLD
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Afg 6 -
16 * 10 mm - Ivory - SOLD
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Afg 7 -
18 * 14 * 13 mm
Unknown material
- SOLD
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Afg 8 -
19 * 17 * 16 mm
Conch shell - Sold
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Afg 9 -
14 * 12 * 11 mm
Ivory
- SOLD |
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Afg 10
- 20 * 6 mm
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Afg 11 - 18 * 17 mm
Zoomorphic bead - Snake?
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Afg 12
- 15 * 6 mm
Green jasper
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ANCIENT AFGHAN EYE AMULETS -
Third and second Millennium B.C.
The remarkable and rare amulet beads shown below all have dot-in-circles designs, most probably made by a kind of hollow drill instrument. These circles depict an archetypical symbol found in many cultures without any cultural interaction. They are the blessing eyes, protecting the wearer from evil eyes and intentions. It is strange that the eyes, very precise themselves and made on careful symmetric designed beads seemingly are put almost random on the surface of the bead. It made me take up the hypothesis that the eyes also could depict constellations of stars. This hypothesis is however difficult to back up by evidence. It seems that the patterns made by the dots have no resemblance to star constellations as they were in North East Afghanistan in the third millennium BC.
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Afg
13 - 38 * 18 * 6 mm
The amulet beads above are made of black stone with clouds of green.
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Afg 14 -
51 * 35 * 8 mm
Large jet stone bead.
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Afg 15 -
27 * 25 * 5 mm
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Afg
16 - 27 * 22 * 7 mm |
Above: The bead to the left is made of stone. The 3 other beads are most probably made of lacquer from gum copal.
(Tree sap that has hardened naturally for about maybe 50 - 100 years becomes copal)
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Afg 17 -
26 * 17 * 7 mm
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Afg
18 - 22 * 17 * 6 mm
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Afg 19 - 25 * 17 mm
Note the 3 eyes around the hole
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Afg 20 -
Pendant
eye bead
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Afg 21 -
26 * 23 * 10 mm
Two concentric circles around
the central dot.
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Afg 22 -
12 * 10 * 9 mm
Seven dot black bead,
with six dots circling around
the holy seventh.
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Afg 23
- 25 * 11 mm
Eye bead made of schist.
This bead is crafted in a bit
primitive way. Seen with a little
symbolic thinking that makes the
bead radiate raw energy.
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Afg 24
- 14 * 10 mm
Afg 26 -
8,5 * 6mm |
VARIOUS BEADS WITH NATURAL EYES
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Afg 25 -
25 * 12 mm
Very interesting natural
eye crystal formation
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Afg 26 - 23 * 10,5 mm
Beautiful natural pupil eye bead
with an oval white sfhere
resembling the white part of the eye. |
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Afg 27
- 16 mm
Natural eye bead
with elongated parallel circles
around the hole
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Afg 28 -
17 * 9 mm
Natural eye bead. Note the calm
elongated circle center surrounded
by the swirling lines.
This makes the bead both calm and dynamic. |
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THIRD MILLENNIUM BC SCHIST BEADS
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Afg 29 -
23 * 9 mm
Bead made of
schist, a rather
unusual material for bead making,
but well known in the
Gandhara art
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Afg 30 -
25 * 12 mm
Schist bead |
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Afg 31
- 10 * 7 mm
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Afg 32 -
10 * 10 mm |
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Afg 33
- 13 * 5 mm
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Afg 34
- 14 * 7 mm
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Afg 37 -
20 * 17 * 3 mm
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Afg 38 - 17 * 9 * 6 mm
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Afg 39 -
20 * 15 * 6 mm
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ANCIENT LAPIS LAZULI BEADS
Afghanistan has since Neolithic stone bead times been famous for Lapis Lazuli.
Lapis lazuli had in the third millennium BC the same value as gold and precious stones.
It was mostly mined from North East Afghanistan, Sar I Sang, and exported from there as far as to Syria.
See more Lapis Lazuli beads from Afghanistan under various Ancient
Beads.
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Afg 40 -
20 * 6 mm
A rare double ax bead in lapis lazuli
See more Lapis Lazuli Beads from
Afghanistan here
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VARIOUS SUPER ANCIENT STONE BEADS
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Afg 41 -
28 * 22 * 17 mm
Large agate bead with a wonderful
pattern and usage patina
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Afg 42 -
28, 5 * 20; 5 * 13 mm
This carnelian bead is flat on one side and
round on the side displayed. |
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Afg 43 -
37 * 12 mm Green Jasper
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Afg 44 - 34 * 12 mm
Jasper bead with a large hole
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Afg 45 - 23 * 21 * 8 mm
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Afg 46 - 20 * 17 * 8mm
SOLD |
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Afg
47
- 24 * 15 mm
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Afg 48 -
22 * 17 * 13 mm
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Afg 49
- 17 * 15 * 14 mm
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Afg 50 -
14 * 13 * 6 mm |
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Afg 51 -
24 * 11 mm
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Afg 52
- 20 * 12 mm
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Afg 53
- 20 * 17 * 6 mm
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Afg 54 -
23 * 18 * 12 mm |
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Afg 55 -
22 * 11 mm
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Afg 56 -
18 * 12 * 5 mm |
Afg 57
- 12 * 11 * 5 mm
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Afg 58 -
26 * 10,5 mm
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Afg 59
- 13,4 * 8 mm
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Afg 60 -
11,5 * 7,5 mm |
Afg 61 -
11,5 * 10 mm |
Afg 62 - 11,5, * 10,5 |
UNCOOKED BEADS
Truncated Convex Bicone Agate
Beads
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Afg 63 -
26 * 11 m
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Afg 64
- 26 * 11 mm |
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Afg 65 -
26 * 11 mm
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Afg
66
- 27 * 11mm |
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v
Afg 67 -
26 * 12 mm
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Afg 68 - 27 * 11 mm |
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Afg
69
- 23 * 11,5 mm
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Afg 70
- 23 * 11 mm
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Afg 71 -
18 * 14 mm
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Afg 72 -
18 * 12 * 7 mm |
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18 * 8 mm
Afg 73 - Chung DZI
- SOLD |
20 * 12 mm
Afg 74 -
Ancient Sulemani agate
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Afg 75 -
16 * 15 * 5,5 mm
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Afg 76 - 15 * 16 mm |
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Afg 77 - 17 * 6 mm
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Afg 78 - 15 * 8 mm |
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Afg 79 -
16 * 9 mm
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Afg 80 - 17 * 10 mm |
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Afg 81
- 16 * 8 mm
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Afg 82 -
20 * 9 mm
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Afg 83 - 13, 5 * 12 mm
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Afg 84 - 12 * 9 mm |
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Afg 85 -
35 * 13 mm
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Afg 86 -
22 * 10 mm |
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Translucent agate pendant beads
Afg 87
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FOSSILIZED JASPER BEADS
These beads
are made
from a fossilized jasper from India. The locals call this stone, Mahamiriam.
It is also known as Elephant Jasper. This fossil
consists of coquina clams mixed with sand and has formed
near the seashore of Gujarat.
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Afg 88
- 21* 18 mm
Afg 89
- Cube: 12 * 12 * 8 mm
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HEART SHAPED PENDANT BEADS
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Afg 90 -
38 * 31 * 7 mm
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Afg 91
- 46 * 36 * 8 mm
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Afg 92 - 21 * 20 * 6 mm
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TREASURES FROM BACTRIA
Below you will see some
wonderful burial beads from the Greek Kingdom of
Bactria.
The beads are discolored by sleeping in the earth for a
thousand winters and summers. However they also bear
clear marks from human wear and tear. In short: the
fulfill all the criteria's of being sublime
scarred beads.
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BAC 1 - 13 * 10 mm
Very rare etched pattern
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BAC 2 - 17 * 7 mm
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BAC 3 - 19 * 8 mm
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BAC 4 - 16 *
9 mm
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BAC 5 - 19 *
10 mm
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BAC 6 - 16 *
10 mm
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BAC 7 - 17 *
8 mm
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BAC 8 - 14 *
10 mm
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BAC 9 - 12 *
6 mm
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BAC 10 - 12 *
8 * 5
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BAC 11 - 13 *
4 * 5 mm
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BAC 12 - 12 mm
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BAC 13 - 10 *
9 * 8 mm
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BAC 14 - 10 *
9 * 5 mm |
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BAC 15 - 10 *
9 * 8 mm
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BAC 16 - 9 *
8 mm |
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BAC 18 - 7 * 6 mm
average size
Click on pictures
for larger images
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The Bactrian beads displayed above have a very unusual
form. This shape, as displayed below is not to my
knowledge not mentioned in any bead book. These beads
are rare.
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BAC 19 - 13 *
11 * 8 mm - largest bead to the left
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BAC 20 - 13 * 4,5
mm largest bead down
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BAC 21 - 9 *
7 mm largest bead left
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BAC 22 - 10 *
4 mm largest bead left down
Click on picture
for larger image
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BAC 23 - 8,5
mm largest bead down middle
Click on picture
for larger image
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