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Dainty beads that appear to closely match those on the "Traded for Slaves" sample card (see below) |
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Various colors of blue, comparing Pacific Northwest beads with strands from Africa. With the exception of the lowermost steely blue strand of beads, the African beads display a layered structure, with translucent glass overlaying a bright opal or opaque blue commonly called "Dutch" blue. The Northwest Coast beads are often 7-sided, the African beads are smaller in diameter and usually have 6 sides (but not always - the two dark sapphire strands upper middle are strung on African raffia and have 7 sides). The darker blue Pacific Northwest beads are a uniform color, but the lighter blue beads display a core of "Dutch" blue. 6-sided beads with multiple layers, as well as monochrome beads, have also been recovered at the Fort Vancouver fur trade post archaeological site in Portland, Oregon and elsewhere along the Pacific Northwest coast. (see PDF) |
BeadsTraded for Slaves vs Traded for Furs
Those interested in extensive pictures of the varieties of these "Russian" beads can find an awesome online exhibit at the Picard Museum.
UPDATE: Found an online version of the British Museum Levin cards at ezakwantu.com. I've circled the beads resembling those discussed above.
Thank you for sharing your work!
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You're welome! Always gratifying to learn that someone is actually reading these posts...
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