Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 24 cm
Order Number: MHSAII10

Old Majapahit beads, new gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 10 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII11

Majapahit beads, Majapahit gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 11 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 31 cm
Order Number: MHSAII15

Small, old, mixed beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 15 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII16

Amber and silver beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 16 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 24 cm
Order Number: MHSAII17

Old Javanese glass beads, old gold beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 17 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII18

Old Javanese glass beads, new gold beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 18 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII19

Sumatran gold beads, old glass beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 19 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Height 25 cm
Order Number: MHSAII20

Old gold beads, Sumatran gold pendant, mutisala beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 20 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Indonesia
Size: Length 46 cm
Order Number: MHSAII21

Old Majapahit gold beads, old Sumatran gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

Amber is a fossilised resin, which oozed out of trees 40 -120 million years ago, and has been carved since prehistoric times. It is mined in Burma, Romania, Sicily, Poland and Mexico. The colour ranges from yellow to reddish-black. It is soft and warm.

Map of Indonesia.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Bead Necklace 21 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 29 cm
Order Number: MHSAII4

Majapahit glass beads with gold inside.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 4 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 30 cm
Order Number: MHSAII5

Old Indonesian Majapahit mixed beads.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 5 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Timor, Indonesia
Size: Height 30 cm
Order Number: MHSAII6

Old Majapahit gold beads and small orange beads called mutisalah which were highly valued and reserved for chieftains. They were made in India from 250 BC and other Southeast Asia countries until 1200 AD and have been found in Palembang, Sumatra, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 6 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Central Asia
Size: Height 23 cm
Order Number: MHSAII7

Old glass beads. Animal shaped.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 7 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Central Asia
Size: Height 30 cm
Order Number: MHSAII8

Lapis lazuli.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 8 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Style: Majapahit, Java, Indonesia
Size: Height 21 cm
Order Number: MHSAII9

Majapahit beads, Sumatran gold beads

Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from the earliest times, at least for 40,000 years. Techniques invented by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans are still used today.

They have been used to guard against evil and as adornment. They can indicate a person’s rank and marital status. They are portable wealth and are traded. They are used as amulets in some societies

They are used by religions. The word bead comes from the Anglo-Saxon biddan, meaning to pray. Roman Catholic rosary beads contain a set number of beads for counting prayers, for example 150 for the psalms. Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu rosaries have 108 beads.

The makers guard their techniques closely. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Venetian Doges monopolised world glass making. in 1292 the glass makers were moved to the island of Murano and forbidden to reveal their secrets or even leave. If they did, the punishment was death.

Beads can be made from anything: bone, horn, glass, wood, metals such as gold, silver, bronze, and brass, ceramic, ivory, seeds, berries, stones, shells, pearls, coral, amber, jet and even plastic.

The powerful east Javanese king Kertanegara, whose capital was in Singosari, was brilliant and erudite but brutal and a drunkard.

The post Antique Bead Necklace 9 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Stone
Style: Java
Size: Stone: Height 10 cm, Length 27.5 cm, Width 20 cm; Roller: Length 24 cm
Order Number: MHSAJMP2

Grinding stones (batu giling) are an alternative to a mortar and pestle to grind spices and herbs. A fat rolling pin is rolled over a thick flat stone slab.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer)

The post Antique Javanese Grinding Stone appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Stone
Style: Java
Size: Mortar: Height 28 cm, Width 20 cm; Pestle: Height 17 cm, Width 5 cm
Order Number: MHSAJMP1

Mortar and pestles have been used from ancient times to grind and crush food items into a thin powder or paste. The mortar is the bowl and the pestle is a heavy, blunt implement.

Probably Majapahit – hundreds of years old.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer)

The post Antique Javanese Mortar and Pestle appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Glass
Style: East Java, Indonesia
Size: Approximately: Length 2 cm, Width 2 cm, Height 4 cm, Circumference 13 cm
Order Number: MHSBD2

Java has many megalithic stone graves with large amounts of beads, some monochrome and some polychrome with various designs and great artistic value, including mutisalah and eye, sunbursts, stripes and mosaic beads. Dealers called them Majapahit beads, looking for a popular label, but they  were never found in Majapahit sites from 1300 AD to 1500 AD, and are much older, probably earlier than 900 AD, and could have been 300 AD.

The mosaic beads are also called rainbow (pelangi) beads and are very beautiful. They tend to have 2 or 4 colour combinations, usually blue and white or blue, white, red and yellow, although the blue in the 4 colours may be changed to dark green, dark blue or brown. They tend to be between 2 and 3.5 cm long.

Eyes, sunbursts and stripes can be all in one bead. They come in combinations of 2, 3 and 4 colours: blue, yellow, white, red, green and very dark green. The most common are blackish green and white and in green and yellow. The largest, about 5 cm long, are green and yellow. Some large beads have white flowers around the opening. In Indonesia eye beads seem to be restricted to East Java and could have been trade items.

9th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Rainbow Bead 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Glass
Style: Java
Size: Length 2 cm, Width 2 cm, Height 5 cm, Circumference 15 cm
Order Number: MHSBD14

Java has many megalithic stone graves with large amounts of beads, some monochrome and some polychrome with various designs and great artistic value, including mutisalah and eye, sunbursts, stripes and mosaic beads. Dealers called them Majapahit beads, looking for a popular label, but they  were never found in Majapahit sites from 1300 AD to 1500 AD, and are much older, probably earlier than 900 AD, and could have been 300 AD.

The mosaic beads are also called rainbow (pelangi) beads and are very beautiful. They tend to have 2 or 4 colour combinations, usually blue and white or blue, white, red and yellow, although the blue in the 4 colours may be changed to dark green, dark blue or brown. They tend to be between 2 and 3.5 cm long.

Eyes, sunbursts and stripes can be all in one bead. They come in combinations of 2, 3 and 4 colours: blue, yellow, white, red, green and very dark green. The most common are blackish green and white and in green and yellow. The largest, about 5 cm long, are green and yellow. Some large beads have white flowers around the opening. In Indonesia eye beads seem to be restricted to East Java and could have been trade items.

9th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Rainbow Bead 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Glass
Style: East Java, Indonesia
Size: Length 2.5 cm, Width 2.5 cm, Height 4 cm, Circumference 12 cm
Order Number: MHSBD15

Java has many megalithic stone graves with large amounts of beads, some monochrome and some polychrome with various designs and great artistic value, including mutisalah and eye, sunbursts, stripes and mosaic beads. Dealers called them Majapahit beads, looking for a popular label, but they  were never found in Majapahit sites from 1300 AD to 1500 AD, and are much older, probably earlier than 900 AD, and could have been 300 AD.

The mosaic beads are also called rainbow (pelangi) beads and are very beautiful. They tend to have 2 or 4 colour combinations, usually blue and white or blue, white, red and yellow, although the blue in the 4 colours may be changed to dark green, dark blue or brown. They tend to be between 2 and 3.5 cm long.

Eyes, sunbursts and stripes can be all in one bead. They come in combinations of 2, 3 and 4 colours: blue, yellow, white, red, green and very dark green. The most common are blackish green and white and in green and yellow. The largest, about 5 cm long, are green and yellow. Some large beads have white flowers around the opening. In Indonesia eye beads seem to be restricted to East Java and could have been trade items.

9th century or earlier.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Rainbow Bead 4 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.