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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: frogpatch on May 05, 2014, 02:45:53 pm

Title: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 05, 2014, 02:45:53 pm
These beads belong to my wife. I do not know where she got them. There are no Roman Catholics in her family. The medal depicts Pope Leo XIII whose Papacy lasted from 1878 until 1903. That would probably be when someone brought them from Rome. The beads have a feel like plastic but they are one color on the surface and a lighter color beneath. The colors in the picture are pretty real. At first I thought they may have been cinnabar of some other lacquer but I always though cinnabar was the same color all through. You can see that they are not molded. The rings are different from one to the next. I also don't think plastic was a material used for religious items at the turn of the century. I am stumped. Can someone shed some light on this. Not my area of expertise at all. The metal is brass and there is a full set of beads they are just not in the picture. 
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: icedgold10 on May 05, 2014, 08:21:57 pm
What do they feel like?  Stone, wood ???  I have seen something like that recently in my researching.  I'll look to see if I can find it again.  Do they feel like bone?
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: mart on May 05, 2014, 08:25:55 pm
They used to dye ivory and bone for carving like that !!
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 06, 2014, 06:43:46 am
Please read more carefully. "The beads have a feel like plastic..." They are apparently a soft material. Definitely not bone or ivory. 
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: mart on May 06, 2014, 09:12:59 am
Didn`t say yours were either one !!~ Just made a statement while thinking !!  I did read carefully !!
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: Rauville on May 06, 2014, 09:35:57 am
I believe that vegetable ivory was used quite often for beads.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 06, 2014, 11:34:49 am
Mart, I was replying to another post that asked "what do they feel like? Stone Wood? Just saying again they feel like plastic.
What is vegetable Ivory. My wife has another one where the beads are made of tightly wound colored paper shreds as fine as thread. I can only see it though a 16x loop.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: icedgold10 on May 06, 2014, 11:39:14 am
They may be  bois durci, an early man made substance made of rosewood sawdust and blood and quite popular during the 19th century.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: Rauville on May 06, 2014, 12:57:30 pm
Vegetable Ivory?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tagua---The-Elephant-Plant&id=3342368 (http://ezinearticles.com/?Tagua---The-Elephant-Plant&id=3342368)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Carved-Tagua-Nut-aka-Vegetable-Ivory-Necklace-/291125399915?pt=Vintage_Costume_Jewelry&hash=item43c86d116b&nma=true&si=ThaEooVkTqzUTxhkOz4J%252FlksweM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Carved-Tagua-Nut-aka-Vegetable-Ivory-Necklace-/291125399915?pt=Vintage_Costume_Jewelry&hash=item43c86d116b&nma=true&si=ThaEooVkTqzUTxhkOz4J%252FlksweM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557)
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: mart on May 06, 2014, 04:28:37 pm
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/Classroom_Activity_Teacher_MilkPlastic.shtml

Evidently this is a early form of plastic !! But it is simple enough that anyone can make it !! Was used quite a bit for buttons and I have seen buttons carved like your rosary !!  The little tiny ones used on ladies clothing from early 1900`s !! This was used back then !! Read below the diagram !!
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 07, 2014, 12:45:41 pm
I think you are right Mart. It just feels like plastic.
I just realized I have a piece of vegetable ivory from Ecuador or somewhere in that region. I completely forgot about it. These beads are more like plastic. It think they are carved early plastic like you said Mart.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: mart on May 07, 2014, 02:15:26 pm
I sometimes run out of buttermilk and vinegar +milk will make an acceptable substitute !! Didn`t know that it also made plastic !!
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 09, 2014, 06:10:46 am
You country folk kill me. Is buttermilk really a staple that you run out of? I buy it special when I make fried chicken. I do love drinking what is left over or making pancakes.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: Rauville on May 09, 2014, 07:56:08 am
You country folk kill me. Is buttermilk really a staple that you run out of? I buy it special when I make fried chicken. I do love drinking what is left over or making pancakes.

My ol' Irish Great Grandmother always thought a Soda Farl was a treat. Nothing but flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk mixed up. ;)
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: sugarcube5419 on May 09, 2014, 08:42:28 am
rauville I had to look that up--when I saw the pictures it looks like the treat my grandma made us when she baked bread??  She'd fry it up and put butter and brown sugar and even now it makes my mouth water to think of it
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: mart on May 09, 2014, 09:07:15 am
That's just a fried biscuit,, try cinnamon sugar or just powdered sugar sprinkled on top !! You can also make a glaze with powdered sugar and a bit of milk poured on top !! Yes, buttermilk here in the country is usually a staple with country cooks like me !! Try buttermilk with your popcorn, or in a glass with leftover cornbread crumbled in and a touch of salt & pepper !! My granddad used to drop popcorn in his buttermilk and eat it with a spoon !!  Pretty darned good !!
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: icedgold10 on May 09, 2014, 07:11:48 pm
I tried drinking buttermilk once.  Never again!  Not my taste at all.  Interesting how different areas like different taste.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: frogpatch on May 10, 2014, 10:05:03 am
Popcorn in buttermilk? That is a first for me. I will try it. The cornbread sounds good. Buttermilk tastes a lot like yogurt in liquid form. I don't know why more people don't like it. When I was growing up my mother bought it all the time. Back then milk was delivered in bottles early in the morning and groceries were delivered by a kid with a cardboard box.
Title: Re: What Are These Rosary Beads Made Of
Post by: KC on May 10, 2014, 11:03:12 am
When I was young my dad offered me a quarter to drink a juice glass full of buttermilk...and even though I really wanted some comic books...I just couldn't do it.  Too thick!  LOL

Ya'll are making me hungry.  I have been on a binge making scones...the quest for the perfect scone.  All my neighbors are loving it because I am giving them out to everyone to help me decide on the perfect recipes for my upcoming articles!  LOL  So far, Orange scone with mini chocolate chips are the hit. 

We should start a thread in another section about all the different types of plastics that are out there.  Bakelite wasn't everything.  Some of the jewelry made from bois durci is worth $$$!

This site is a good one to look at different plastics over time!
http://www.plastiquarian.com/index.php?id=47 (http://www.plastiquarian.com/index.php?id=47)