You know, practice is almost everything... I think I'm improving my photos.This one is Watercolor and Ink.
Well, you'll notice I have lots of African Necklaces... It is because I spent so much time there in different countries and my husband too. So, many of the necklace will appear are gifts or result of shopping in some of the countries we have been.
Having said this, this is a necklace from Niger, not Nigerian. Many of the West African countries has the tradition on beads and jewelry as they learnt from the trade with Portuguese merchants from the XVth century and also from the Swahili merchants in the Indian Ocean (since the IXth century) who came with beads trade in India. In my country there is an ironic commentary about trade on those times is relative to the kind of exchanges these merchant did, for example: gold by textiles, or spices... and then we said "they give them(us colored mirrors in exchange for gold or silver!" It is funny, but actually, color beads and textiles were highly appreciated by African High societies meanwhile they had lots of gold and silver tools and jewelry which were not novelties for them.
Anyway, I passed my word limit today, (my old métier has got me!).
I love this one because the blue glass beads has also little points of orange and red, very similar to the Murano beads in Italy. I love that combination.