Thought to be between 50 and 100 years old …
An exceptional antique necklace strand of 20 pieces of 20x30mm sized old flat brass spiral pendant disk beads complete with a central threading cylinder.
The beads on this strand, which are thought to be up to 100 years old, have been cast by adopting the lost-wax technique by the Ashanti people of central Ghana.
They would also provide the potential for creativity to those artisans with a bent for creating amazing tribal or boho-inspired ethnic style or statement Jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets, leg bangles, and earrings.
However, collectors of these beads may prefer to display the strand in a prominent position.
The Ashanti and to a lesser degree the Baoule tribal people from the Ivory Coast still create this beautiful brass and bronze beads using traditional lost-wax methods – the same labour-intensive metal-casting process that their forefathers used since the 3rd millennium BC.
And the results today are as stunning as they were two thousand years ago – confirming that incorporating modern methods with ancient techniques, works exceptionally well.
The strand containing 20 beads weighing in at 114 grams – has been discounted with each bead now working out to cost $4.00.
The accompanying photos illustrate what to expect in your order. Please also be aware, that the beads have been enlarged to illustrate detail - while the visual quantities may also be less than what you will receive.
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The Ashanti, Baoule, Krobo, and Yoruba tribes are the main bead-making people of West Africa.
The main difference between the four ethnic groups, see the Krobos and Yoruba tribes specialise in bead-making with recycled glass, while the Ashanti and Baoule people prefer metal.
Lost-Wax casting is one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques in the world which date back more than 6,000 years – and the Ashanti have the technique perfected down to a veritable art form.
The bead-making process first calls for the construction of specially designed bead molds made out of waxed models - into which hot molten metal is poured.
The hot liquid causes the wax mold to melt and drain away - and in doing so the beads are formed and created after the metal sets.
A proven technique that is so simple and so clever is why the lost-wax casting process has survived for so long.
It is well used in the 21st Century, particularly by the dentistry industry, which uses these ancient methods to create crowns, inlays, and on lays – but with modern technology.