African Bead Set from Kenya: Brass Heishi, Cowrie & Batik Bone (7 Strands, 3-24mm)

7 strands of Kenyan beads, about 480 beads in all, from fine brass heishi and cowrie shells to bold batik and grey bone.

What's included (numbers match the numbered photo)

• #1 Kenya Brass Heishi: 1 x 3-4mm beads, 1mm hole, 11-12" strand, about 240 beads
• #2 Kenyan Cowrie Shell: 21 x 15mm beads, 1mm hole, 22-24" strand, about 50 beads
• #3 Imfibinga Natural Seed: 9-10 x 7-8mm beads, 1mm hole, 20-25" strand, about 50 beads
• #4 Inverted Zig-Zag Batik Bone: 25 x 7mm beads, 2mm hole, 24-28" strand, about 25 beads
• #5 Dark Grey Kenya Bone Sphere: 20-24mm beads, 2-3mm hole, 30" strand, about 30 beads
• #6 Arrow Design Batik Bone: 5 x 22mm beads, 2mm hole, 30" strand, about 28 beads
• #7 Marbiney and Rukenya Natural Seed Medley: 9-12 x 7-10mm beads, 2mm hole, 36" strand, about 60 beads

Details

• Bead sizes are measured ranges; handmade bone, natural seeds and shells vary from bead to bead within them
• Holes run 1-3mm: the 1mm brass heishi, cowrie and Imfibinga strands suit beading wire or fine cord, and the 2-3mm bone and seed medley strands also take leather, thicker cord or elastic
• The brass heishi comes on a short 11-12" strand

Every strand in this set comes from Kenya: brass heishi spacers, East African cowrie shells, natural Imfibinga and marbiney and rukenya seeds, batik bone beads hand dyed with a wax relief process, and grey bone beads carved and polished by hand from recycled cow bone. Mix the big grey spheres and batik discs with seed and shell accents for pieces with a true East African look. A ready-made kit for designers who want a whole Kenyan palette in one order.