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These African beads, carved from the tip of the conus shell, are a beloved adornment of the Mauritanian women. Their Guedra dancers embellish their hair and clothing with these shell discs called "al bot min teffou", a tradition that has lasted for over a hundred years. Each bead has been painstakenly carved and drilled by hand.

These hand-carved cow bone beads come from Kenya in east Africa. To decorate the surface, artisans create the pattern using a "batik" process. This involves painting a pattern on the surface of a plain bead with a wax-like substance. When the beads are subsequently immersed in dye, the pigment darkens the bare surfaces and leaves the wax-coated areas a natural bone color.