ANCIENT
GLASS BEADS
Glass beads are not in my field of expertise.
However I would
like to display the few ones I have.
Multi colored glass beads |
The beads
are for sale
Inquire
through bead ID
for price
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GLB 1 - 12 * 8 * 4 mm -
14 * 9 * 4 mm
Kaushambi -
Allahabad UP -
NOT FOR
SALE

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The illustration is taken from the book:
"Indian Beads" - A Cultural and Technological Study - Shantaram B. Deo
p. 143
It shows beads excavated from Kausambi, Uttar Pradesh, Early historic
period.
Note the similarity between the two beads on my scan and the bead
displayed
in the low right corner of the photo from the book.
Ancient blue glass beads
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GLB 2 -
Average size: 6 * 3,5 mm
- SOLD
Click on picture for larger image
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Wonderful deep blue colored glassbeads with stripes.
Greater India - probably Maurian Period 300
B.C. - 100 A.D.
Note the similarity between these wonderful beads and the bead displayed
in the low
left corner of the illustration from the previous mentioned book "Indian
Beads".
A bead expert told me with absolute certainty that the beads
displayed below
with the red dot in the middle were from the Islamic Period 800 - 900 AD.
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GLB 3
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Disk beads: 9 * 2 mm
Eyebeads from the early classical
period
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However - as you can observe in the
illustration below from "Indian Beads" (p.142)
an identical bead (no 3 in the upper row) was excavated in
Kausambi
(and Rajghat) from sites belonging to the Early historic period.
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Why do I mention these different views on
the origin of the beads displayed here?
It is to highlight the uncertanity that always will be around ancient
beads.
Where do the origin from? Are they genuine or copies?
If you follow this
link to the beadcollector.net you can see an interesting discussion
concerning the small blue glass beads with the white stripes.
Here the discussion is quite 'humble' in the sense that nobody advocates being in the possession of the absolute truth about these
beads.
However as an outsider and self declared non-specialist in beads I must
say that
I sometimes get surprised concerning the absolute certainty in which
certain kind of bead
experts claim to know the truth.
Why is it sometimes so difficult to admit that we sometimes simply don't
know? And what is more beautiful than a mystery bead?Ancient white, green and red striped glass
beads
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GLB 4
-
Average size: 10 mm
Banded glass beads
Largest piece: 12 mm - smallest piece: 8
mm
Early historic period - most probably
Maurian - 300 B.C. - 100 A.D.
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The ancient glass beads displayed above were made before
the days of mass production. They
vary greatly in terms of size, shape, art and color.
Each one of them has a 'soul' of their own.
Note that you can find the quite rare beads with the red stripes on the above
illustration
from the Indian Bead book. (third in the middle row)
Ancient black glass beads
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GLB 5
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Note the similarity to beads in the illustration
from Indian Beads
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10 * 8 mm |
12 * 8 mm |
11 * 6 mm |
10 * 5 mm |
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Ancient colored striped glass beads
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GLB 6 -
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15 * 8 mm |
15 * 8
mm |
17 * 7
mm |
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Colored glass beads from the
Early Historic period B.C.
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11 * 4 mm
9 * 5 mm

9 * 6 * 3 mm GLB
7 -
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These Pyu glass beads are made in resemblance of the typical Burmese jade.
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Click on picture for larger image 16 * 5,5 mm
GLB 9
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GLB 10 - Average 16 mm
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