Exotic Cowrie Shells Necklace "Ward off the evil eye" Ethnic Handmade Jewelry

Long necklace made of cowrie shells knotted together on a long straw necklace; unmarked artisan handmade 

True Vintage Jewelry, c.unknown (it looks almost as new)

Approx. measurements: 30 inches ll around. The bigger drop center shell measures 1.25"l.

Very good vintage condition, nothing missing , all authentic and functional

It will be carefully wrapped to ensure its safe travels. It would make a fabulous gift to many vintage jewelry collectors

talkingfashion believes: The eye-shaped shell in India is said to "ward off the evil eye".

talkingfashion history: The Vietnam war and protests against it caused social upheaval in the latter half of the 60s in the United States. "Hippies", those members of a widespread, often indigent, youth movement who rejected conventional lifestyles, chose to wear second-hand clothing and ragged blue jeans with tie-dyed shirts. Ethnic clothing became fashionable after groups of hippies traveled to India and Afghanistan to learn more about the Eastern cultures they favored. Their clothing became a representation of their attitudes and war protests. The jewelry that was worn by this group reflected the same sentiments. Peace and Love symbols were everywhere, from earrings to pendants to headbands. An ancient symbol of life, the ankh, was popular as well as jewelry made with signs of the Zodiac. Love beads made of colored glass, papier mache and wood were common along with other natural materials such as beans and seeds from Mexico and Puerto Rico. A tremendous amount of inexpensive but colorful jewelry was made by artisans and sold at street fairs. Slogans necklaces with messages like "Made Love, not War" became commonplace. Mood rings and slave bracelets were also appealing to this group. Back-to-nature attitudes were displayed by the use of feathers, shells and wood to create unique jewelry items. (info copy extracted from the great book "Popular Jewelry of the 60s 70s 80s" by Roseann Ettinger, p.97)