“ We must always behave so that our souls like to stay with us

and so we wear flowers, glass beads

and decorate our bodies.

If we don’t take care of our souls

the soul doesn’t like to come back anymore

they fly away

to the ancestors

and we die. “

Sakuddei from the island of Siberut off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Acting as miniature time capsules, beads are receptacles of narratives of human history, serving as adornment and tangible reminders of our connection to the ways of the past and a constant presence of identity in the present.
Glass beads, believed to have originated in Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE, became a popular choice, transcending geographical boundaries and cultures while offering a vibrant palette of colors.
As a  way to communicate the most fundamental symbols and beliefs of cultures around the world, beads have served multiple purposes including personal decoration, social status, religious and spiritual significance when used to represent deities and to embellish ceremonial attires, and in some cultures they have also been used as a form of currency.

Written by Origo team.