Antique Turquoise Blue Faience Ceramic Donkey Bead Multi-Strand Necklace, 1900

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Heavy, hand-formed beads of glazed composition display an intense turquoise-blue finish with irregular, textured surfaces. Arranged in multiple parallel tiers, … Read more Heavy, hand-formed beads of glazed composition display an intense turquoise-blue finish with irregular, textured surfaces. Arranged in multiple parallel tiers, the rounded beads vary subtly in shape, diameter and pitted surface texture, characteristic of traditional faience production where alkaline glazes create rich mottled tones during firing. The bead rows are held in alignment by slotted spacers cut from thick brown leather, keeping the dense tiers organised across the chest. At the terminals, the multi-strand layout gathers neatly into reinforced leather caps that transition into a tightly braided leather cord, fastened with an integral knotted toggle. Pieces of this robust construction are traditionally associated with North African equestrian adornment, frequently referred to as donkey beads. Crafted to be worn over the necks of working animals as protective talismans against misfortune, their bold scale and durability also led to their adoption as dramatic personal jewellery. This assembly likely dates to the early 1900s. Measuring approximately 60 cm in total length, the piece retains substantial tactile weight. It functions equally well as a dramatic ethnographic statement necklace or as a decorative sculptural object mounted for interior display. Materials comprise porous ceramic composition under an alkaline copper-blue glaze, threaded onto natural cordage and mounted with vegetable-tanned leather spacers and ties. See less