African Beads: Jewels of a Continent

Although much attention has been focused on European glass beads imported into Africa, little information is available on beads made by the African peoples themselves. African Beads: Jewels of a Continent fills that void.

- Lois Sherr Dubin, author of The History of Beads

African Beads: Jewels of a Continent is the first book ever published to deal exclusively with African-made beads. In detailed chapters organized by material (bone and shell, wood and amber, stone, metal, glass) authors Evelyn Simak and Carl Dreibelbis trace the historical journey of bead making in Africa. Prefaced with an essay by Lois Sherr Dubin and accompanied by 163 color photographs, this magnificent book is a showcase for some of the rarest, most beautiful and most collectible beads in the world.