Code: NECK106

OBJECT STUDY

A long strand of barrel-form coral beads, predominantly orange-red with surface pitting, dark mineral inclusions, and irregular spotting distributed across the corpus. Color shifts occur throughout: isolated beads read deeper crimson against the dominant burnt orange ground. At the center front, two oversized accent beads interrupt the sequence. One is a deep navy barrel, polished, with faint surface crazing. Adjacent sits a smaller opaque green cylinder of comparable form. Both contrast sharply against the flanking coral discs. Bead surfaces show natural organic texture with pore-like voids consistent with unbleached Mediterranean or Red Sea coral, consistent with Yemeni trade bead traditions where coral was accumulated across generations as stored wealth. The cord is raw plant fiber, fraying visibly at the single overhead knot closure.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

• Material: natural coral, unbleached, barrel and disc cut forms
• Accent beads: one navy barrel, one green cylinder, material unconfirmed, possibly glass or stone
• Cord: plant fiber, single knotted closure
• Length: 75 cm
• Wear: moderate surface pitting, scattered dark inclusions, cord fraying at knot
• No metal components