Here's another view of the 3 on the right, slightly rotated.
This closeup has a little more blue cast than the first. The background is blue stock. The scale should be white.
Thanks, Joyce!
I missed the previous thread. I guessed at India, also and guessed at 1930 or newer for a time line.... but they were just guesses. I'll get some shots of the other beads that are found in the same area and of the holes in these.
Hi Russ,
I am surprised to see these large beads in the hands of Karen people, since I only know them to wear small beads, like strands of seedbeads.
The beads you show have been discussed quite a lot at various forums. I resist the implication that they can have much in the way of a traditional ethnographic context, since I think these beads are much newer than some folks would like to believe. I first saw these in the marketplace (San Francisco) in 1974, as new imports. I would be very surprised if there were specimens from as early as the '60s, because we didn't see anything like these back then. Peter showed some of these 1970s Indian beads in his monograph from 1979, "The Glass Beads of India."
The beads you show have also been passed-off as "Naga beads"—which is another context I disbelieve. I think it is based on the similarity of the shape of typical chank shell beads, used by Hill Tribe folks.
Unfortunately, I can't find a significant photo I'd like to show....
Happy Holidays. Jamey
Hi Jamey!
I think these are merely _found_ by this particular Karen village. If they were used by them they'd probably not be so easy to sell the found beads off. It's a group that was relocated in the last 30 or so years following a particular monk who brought together Karin people from several different areas to make new villages.
According to Pam and Angie of Shiana they are beads that are found while cultivating the crop area. (Corn, if I remember correctly. The monk's leadership helped stop poppy growing as a main crop.)
