I love South African beadwork

African Accessories

These beatutiful traditional accessories are made of glass beads, one just can't help but fall in love with them. These beads accessoriesare are proudly made in South Africa by local woman. The origin of beads and beadwork in Africa dates back to the beginning of any civillization documented in archaeological history, some say as far as 10,000 BC. Is commonly assumed that African beadwork traditions emerged through trans-continental trade relations that led to the importation of glass beads to West Africa as early as the 4th century AD. In fact, the use of indigenous materials such as marine shells, stone, seeds and ostrich eggshell long predates these trade relations, attesting to the importance of adornment practices that have underpinned social and political relations, and have in many cases played a critical role in ritual practices, since prehistoric times.
Learn More