Ancient Islamic Period Rare Green Evil Eye Glass Beads Necklace With Gold Vermeil Bali Beads M00661
This 29" long necklace is made of Ancient Evil Eye Glass beads. These beads date to the 8-12 century AD, the period known as Islamic or Late Byzantine. These beads were widely traded in the ancient world, and similar beads are found across the Mediterranean, as far north as Northern Europe, and East across Asia and Indonesia, These specific beads were found in Mali, where they were likely taken along the sub-Saharan trade caravans. These beads are more commonly blue. Green beads with yellow eyes are relatively rare
Excellent illustrations and history of these beads can be found in a book by Augusto Panini, Middle Eastern and Venetian Glass Beads, pages 97-104, 111. ISBN-13: 978-8861301641.
There are about 60 ancient green evil eye beads ranging from 9 to 15.5 in diameter; they are strung together with contemporary Bali vermeil beads and spacers (the large 4 gold vermeil beads are13.5 mm, and there are also 57 gold vermeil daisy 5.6 mm spacers. The necklace is finished with a gold vermeil hook clasp.
See photos for more detail and scale.
More About Ancient Evil Eye Glass Beads:
Evil eye beads were widely used in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and Rome, across the Mediterranean, spreading later to Northern Europe, Asia, Africa, and eventually North America. They are mentioned in the Old Testament and the Koran, the works of classical Greeks and Romans.
The ancients believed that illness, misfortunes of any kind, and generally bad luck are caused by the malevolent gaze of an envious ill-wisher. The beads bearing depictions of an eye were used as powerful talismans to ward off the effects of such ill wishes. Such beads appear to have been widely traded through the centuries and around the globe.
Translucent blue glass evil eye beads were found in digs from the late Roman/Early Byzantine periods across the Mediterranean, spreading further during the Islamic Period as far as ancient Scandinavia in the North to sub-Saharan Africa in the South. They were widely traded and are notoriously difficult to date exactly. The ancient glass beads used in our jewelry were obtained from several private collections and reputable dealers. Most of them come from excavations in Mauritania and Mali and are believed to date to the period between the 6th and the 12th centuries AD.
