eBay

justneatitems · ‎06-11-2018

Hello Community

I have some items I believe are of Native American origin, but know absolutely nothing about the culture or it's art and could use some help with identification, age and any possible value? I have both lovely beaded items and silver jewelry, but right now I simply need helpp with the beaded items. I'll upload as many photos as I can, but I'm still very green at using the eBay community for help.

Aparently I can do 4 photos only. The first three are of what I believe to be a bracelet. The estate it came from the owners seemed to come from Texas if that helps? I always found the shape interesting as it's in the shape of a wristwatch. The 4th photo (I can't delete now) is simply a very long string of beads. By very long I'd say 3 to 4 feet from memory. I've got other items as well I hope I can post with replies to this thread until I get them all posted.

Thank you

pixzee · ‎06-11-2018

There are many Native American cultural festivals and Pow Wows held all over the US and often on tribal land with dance and costume competitions as well as food and activities. Folks also make items like these to wear and trade at these celebrations. The wrist band is made from animal hide, it is not unusual for contemporary items to use traditional materials, and the beader herself or a family member may have cured and prepared the hide. As mentioned, these prepared materials are also offered for trade at these events.

Neither the bracelet nor the necklace look particularly difficult to make and arew the kind of projects that a young girl might take on when she starts beading to wear at a PowWow. (the bracelet is child size, right?) I am unsure if the colors in this instance mean anything, they sometimes do, but a child might be given spare beads to work with at first.

Pieces like this are dated by the beads (though that can be deceiving as beads are recycled) The beads seem unremarkable to me (czech, about 10/0 size?) the green is an unusual color with variation and almost looks "greasy" or a half-luster or half-ceylon finish used to imitate greasy finish in the 1970s - 1990s. The other beads could have been made yesterday.

sonomabarn67 · ‎06-11-2018

All wrong. None of that answer is correct. This is not Native American beadwork at all. I would say it is African though. This is where Google fails us, well because it does.

sonomabarn67 · ‎06-11-2018

African beadwork for sale on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=african+beaded+leather+bracelet.&_...

leathernlace · ‎06-11-2018

I agree. African. Definitely NOT Native American.

pixzee · ‎06-11-2018

@leathernlace wrote:
I agree. African. Definitely NOT Native American.

I have never seen the wrist watch looking beaded bracelet style before. Which is unusual for me, but I am not that into African beadwork (just about every other kind, though). I have seen similar circle patterns used in a lot of Native Am. beadwork. I just took the OPs word for it being Native Am. and never googled it at all. If I had, I doubt I would have found the African examples, in any event. Ever google "beaded bracelet?.

On second look, the long necklace isn't typical of Native American work, but is almost a form of currency in some parts of Africa -I should have picked up on that right away.

I am glad the OP was pointed in the right direction, after all.

sonomabarn67 · ‎06-11-2018

Just shows how valuable the knowledge of source material is when using Google. It is a good supplement to one's knowledge but not a replacement for that knowledge.

sonomabarn67 · ‎06-12-2018

Here is similar from the Masai in Kenya. Very similar but without the rosette. Post your other pieces in this thread as a reply to your first post . Sometimes NA items are found along with groups of African beadwork because people don't know the difference.

w.ebay.com/itm/AFRICAN-MAASAI-BEADED-LEATHER-BRACELET-WRISTBAND-KENYA-02/123185716875?hash=item1cae7...

justneatitems · ‎06-15-2018

Thank you all for your opinions. As one community member suggested I'm posting some of the other items for review. I'll check back in again in a few days.