Old hand ground Ethiopian Phenolic Resin Amber Beads set of 5. This set of five small beads are old for this type, dating them to around the 1920s or 1930s. They are approximately a cm long and half a cm wide. They are all roughly oblong but their shapes vary given they were hand shaped into beads and have been worn with other beads so long. They have developed a lovely patina. All sides are smooth and irregularly shaped due to wear. No drill marks or tool marks can be seen given the time these beads have been spent worn. They have literally been worn smooth like river rocks by those who have worn these beads.

Beads of this type were originally made mostly in England and Germany, then traded to West Africa.

Weight is 3 g, listing is for these five beads. No filters were used for the photos. Difference in coloration is due to indoor versus outdoor lighting to show how the beads look in different settings. Thank you!