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Clay Beads

  • Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone Beads (30x26mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
    $45.00
    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00

    Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone Beads (30x26mm)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of natural color terra cotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern and unique char...

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    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
    $45.00
    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
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  • Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00

    Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle)

    in stock

    These black pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but mea...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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    $14.00
  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00

    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
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  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
    Sold out
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00

    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
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  • Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00

    Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round)

    in stock

    These yellow pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but me...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
  • Natural Oblong Mali Terracotta Beads (25x14mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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    Natural Oblong Mali Terracotta Beads (25x14mm)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of oblong natural terracotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern however, the si...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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  • Mali Clay Spindle Cone Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00

    Mali Clay Spindle Cone Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. Some be...

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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
    $65.00
    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
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  • Green Pharaonic Pottery Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $9.00 - $9.00
    $9.00
    $9.00
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    $9.00

    Green Pharaonic Pottery Beads

    Out of stock

    Admire these beautiful beads sometimes referred to as pharaonic pottery beads. Handmade by skilled artisans in the North African country of Egypt, ...

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    $9.00 - $9.00
    $9.00
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  • Black Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (35x15mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $25.00 - $25.00
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    Black Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (35x15mm)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of natural color terra cotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each of these unusual bead may show slight variation in size and patter...

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    $25.00 - $25.00
    $25.00
    $25.00
    $25.00 - $25.00
    $25.00
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  • Black Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (16x9mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00

    Black Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (16x9mm)

    Out of stock

    Unusual strand of extra small black terra cotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern with indiv...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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  • Oval Black Mali Clay Beads (20x10mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
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    Oval Black Mali Clay Beads (20x10mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of black colored terracotta beads from Mali. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
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    $14.00
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  • Old Gumdrop Black Mali Clay Beads (16x26mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
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    $89.00

    Old Gumdrop Black Mali Clay Beads (16x26mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of black colored terracotta beads from Mali. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size...

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    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
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  • Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00

    Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle)

    in stock

    These yellow pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but me...

    View full details
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
  • Mali Clay Spindle Whorl Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
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    $49.00 - $49.00
    $49.00
    $49.00
    $49.00 - $49.00
    $49.00

    Mali Clay Spindle Whorl Beads (Round)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. The strand is approx. 28" long with beads about...

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    $49.00 - $49.00
    $49.00
    $49.00
    $49.00 - $49.00
    $49.00
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  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00

    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

    View full details
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
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  • Black Terracotta Round Mali Clay Beads (11mm) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00

    Black Terracotta Round Mali Clay Beads (11mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this strand of small black terracotta mali clay beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pat...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
  • Black Terracotta Mali Clay Round Beads (14mm) - The Bead Chest
    $15.00 - $15.00
    $15.00
    $15.00
    $15.00 - $15.00
    $15.00

    Black Terracotta Mali Clay Round Beads (14mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this strand of small black terracotta mali clay beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pat...

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    $15.00 - $15.00
    $15.00
    $15.00
    $15.00 - $15.00
    $15.00
  • Deep Blue Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle - 14mm) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
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    $14.00

    Deep Blue Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle - 14mm)

    in stock

    These deep blue pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
  • Bicone Black Mali Clay Beads (26x24mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
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    Bicone Black Mali Clay Beads (26x24mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of black colored terracotta beads from Mali. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size...

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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
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    $65.00 - $65.00
    $65.00
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  • Mali Clay Spindle Disk Beads (Sun Swirl Design) - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00
    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
    $34.00
    $34.00 - $34.00
    $34.00

    Mali Clay Spindle Disk Beads (Sun Swirl Design)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. Design...

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    $45.00
    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
    $34.00
    $34.00 - $34.00
    $34.00
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  • Black & White Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $15.95 - $15.95
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    Black & White Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of Black & White Terracotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation. However, the size of beads are...

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    $15.95 - $15.95
    $15.95
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  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00

    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    Sold out
  • Bicone Black Mali Clay Beads (22x24mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $39.00 - $39.00
    $39.00
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    $39.00

    Bicone Black Mali Clay Beads (22x24mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of black colored terracotta beads from Mali. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size...

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    $39.00 - $39.00
    $39.00
    $39.00
    $39.00 - $39.00
    $39.00
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  • Matte African Clay Heishi Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    $16.00

    Matte African Clay Heishi Beads

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this nice strand of heishi-shaped clay beads from West Africa. Each bead is in the shape of a flat round disk and measures approxima...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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African Clay Beads are among the earliest bead formats known to man, many archeological finds pre-dating the famous shell hoard of the Blombus Cave on Africa's Southern Cape by as much as 20,000 years. But while tribes in the South and West of Africa have a long affiliation with clay bead production, it is the Dogon tribes of Bandiagara in Mali who are modernly revered for their beautiful black clay creations. Distinguished by their charcoal coloration and elaborate milgrain-like detailing, Mali Clay Spindle Whorl Beads were originally intended for use as currency among trans-Saharan merchants. Their value to merchants was determined by their coloration – the darker the beads, the higher their net worth.

Clay Beads from Mali are distinguishable from other beads in Africa by their coloration. Most natural clay found in Africa is of a reddish-brown hue, however, in the cliffs of Bandiagara, it is near black. Modern crafters often manipulate the hue by adding ground ash, charcoal and the remnants of other pottery or china to the ground down clay mixture. Water, oil and tree gum are added to the mixture to help it adhere during firing, and the clay is then fashioned into a conical spindle whorl shape. Designs are carved into the surface using a hacksaw blade or shard of glass, and the beads are then fired in an open charcoal brazier. Once cool, they are immersed in a whitewash several times before they are left to dry. Excess paint is gently rubbed off using a cloth, leaving just the carved areas decorated. Red clay beads produced by the Zarma people are made using a very similar technique, but although beautiful, they aren't nearly as popular as their black counterparts.