Need some help dating these brass bells and glass beads......

Charmin

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Sep 3, 2007
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Oklahoma
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This strand of glass beads and brass bells was found at an estate sale in Hominy Oklahoma about ten years ago. They belonged to an Osage Indian woman. The glass beads are unevenly shaped and some are even "fused" together. There are yellow, turquoise, light blue, dark blue and black beads. The lighter colored beads are black inside. Do you think they are hand made/blown?
The brass bells are not identical--each just a little different than the other. One of the bells has some little designs carved into it. Each of the bell clappers is made from cast iron and they look like they've been hand made, too.
The bells and beads are strung on old cotton string that's a faded red color.
Could this have been a strand of Indian "trade beads"? Or does anyone know when beads like this were made? Were brass bells trade items?
There are no markings anywhere on the bells except for the engravings on the one bell. The strand is 31" long and the bells are 3/4" across and 1" high.
Thanks for looking and any help dating these would be appreciated!
Kind regards~~sandcreek4
 

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those are old trade beads or similar type modern "repoduction" beads of the trade era beads --the blaclk inner cores male me think they might be real --- there are modern repo beads for folks who do bead work as well * --with her being an native american --- its possible she used real "old" trade beads and bell items to make her personal prayer / medition type item --- clearly the stringing material is "new" but the beads '/ bells could be very old indeed -- late 1700's or early 1800's era maybe .
 

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ivan salis said:
those are old trade beads or similar type modern "repoduction" beads -- there are modern repo beads for folks who do bead work * --these at first glance would appear to be modern repos strung up with the bells to make a prayer or medition type item --upon first glance to me -- very nice anyway. --the tip off new / old is the type of cord used to string them with :wink:
Ivan--Do you think they are reproduction beads then? Do you think they handmade? What makes the beads "black" inside?
I have been to Indian dances(pow-wow) and saw some of the women carrying and shaking beads similar to these, as they danced--maybe these were used as such?
Thanks for the info, Ivan Salis!
regards~~sandcreek4
 

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going to school you on beads --get ready to learn -- go to crazy crow trading post there you will learn a lot --Ivan

most of the very very old beads came form one place --that held on to the knowledge of how to make them --the venetian isle of murano *. (off of italy)-- later on the checks and germans and french also made beads as well.
 

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ivan salis said:
going to school you on beads --get ready to learn -- go to crazy crow trading post there you will learn a lot --Ivan
Thanks Ivan! :thumbsup:
regards~~sandcreek4
 

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