This is an extraordinary bead bracelet made of rare vintage deer horn beads on steel spring wire. The ends have contemporary 14 Karat yellow gold hardware.

These incised deer horn beads are from Sumba island in the Indonesian archipelago and are anywhere from 60 to 100 years old. The two end beads are recent Chinese beads.

They come from chieftains and persons of high social stature. The deer had great mythic significance and could only be hunted by royalty and only on very auspicious occasions. Traditionally there would only be a few deer horn beads on a necklace and were considered a symbol of great wealth. Only the solid tips of the antlers were used to make these beads.

Currently imitated in bone, these genuine, difficult-to-find deer horn beads are reminders of a rich island culture that is passing into history.