The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 7, 2026

A silver alloy necklace features a thin dark cord that transitions into rows of small beads. From these beads hang many vertical pendants clustered in a dense U-shape. Each pendant is a small cylinder topped by a rounded nub and finishing in a flared, tiered base. The muted gray metal creates a repetitive, rhythmic pattern along the lower half of the necklace, which is knotted at the top.

Necklace with beads (sadi?)

late 1800s or early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith

silver alloy
Gift of Raymond A. Silverman 2025.153
Location: 108C African Jewelry and Metalwork

Did You Know?

There are no local sources of silver in Ethiopia.

Description

This necklace has an abundance of phallic beads representing fertility framed by dozens of smaller silver beads. Specialists in gold and silver would melt silver into small balls that were then attached to drawn rods of metal. Atop each bead is a pile of small granulations; these tiny metal spheres are small like pieces of grain.
  • –c. 2000
    Unknown Ethiopian Vendor/Shop
    c. 2000–2025
    Dr. Raymond Silverman
    2025
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Silver, Gold, and Gems: A Spotlight on Jewelry Across Africa. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 7, 2025-December 6, 2026).
  • {{cite web|title=Necklace with beads (sadi?)|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s or early 1900s|access-date=07 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.153