|
Ancient glass beads from Afghanistan
 
30 * 25 mm
 
20 * 18 mm
 
20 * 18 mm
 
20 * 20 mm
Unique glass beads from Afghanistan, Bamiyan and M'zar-Sharif - Early Islam, 900-1100 AD
These beads are constructed around a net like the steel construction in a modern house.
The net in the figurative beads is made of copper - the net in the face beads is made of silver
The face beads have dual faces - one face of each side of the bead.
In the early period of Islam in Afghanistan, Buddhists and Moslems lived peacefully together.
The Muslem elite was not too interested in converting people into Islam, because non-moslems
had to pay a special tax for not being moslems. This tax was an important source of income for the elite.
The rule in Islam not to depict Gods, humans or animals is in this period,
like often in the different shia-cultures,
not taken too seriouss.
I have even seen a face bead like this with a hindu-marking of the third eye!
|
