The following is an adjunct to my previous post regarding "Sulemani" banded agate beads.

Beginning in late January of this year (2023), I met with my friend David Ebbinghouse in Delhi, India--and we began a two-week trip through Eastern and Central India, with the goal of meeting rural people who were engaged in collecting old beads. These are reputed to come from the ground, and often from what are considered to be ancient manufacturing sites. Our entre was facilitated by my online friend, Sanatan (whom I have cyberly known since the time he participated here at BCN Forum). We were very grateful for his suggestion that this excursion be made, and that he helped us every day, in arranging travel, meetings, and preparing our introduction.

We made it abundantly clear that we were there to document and study these beads, and not to buy them. With this proviso, a number of gentlemen consented to show us their collections, to photograph the beads, and in some instances to show us the actual places that were being exploited.

I returned with over 2,700 photos and copious notes of our sojourn, and hope to synthesize this into a report that David and I will compose. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

The point of the present message is to amplify what I learned about "Sulemani" beads.

In interviewing rural Indian people, who have one-line and banded agate beads, I was informed that "Sulemani" is, in fact, their traditional name for these products.

Consequently, I have come to understand that this bit of "it is said" mythology is not uncommon in parts of India. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the name has any real historical meaning--which is what is implied by many or most of the people who offer these beads for sale. These sellers are mostly not Indian, though the beads are or may be coming from India. It is through the selling of these beads, with that name, that the beads have become unusually popular and pricy.

So, in most respects, I still think "Sulemani" is essentially a device for making a certain class of beads seem "important"--and that this factor supports increasingly high pricing structures. It is based on rural beliefs, and is not based upon anything like an historical circumstance. What I have learned is that there is a basis for using this name--and though it was not devised or "made-up from nowhere" as a selling device, it remains little more than that.