Vintage prayer bead strand Egytptian revival silver lustre black glass beads

Vintage Czech hand beaded prayer bead strand. With black cylinder and teardrop glass beads in an Egyptian revival style, finished with silver lustre decoration. With 3 sections of 17 cylinder beads separated by teardrop beads and finished with a beaded tassle. The loop is around 15 inches in length.

Origin: Czech 1960's
Size: Beads 8 - 32mm; 5/16" - 1.25"
Material: Glass. 

The number of beads varies by religion or use. Islamic prayer beads, called Misbaha or Tasbih, usually have 100 beads (99 +1 = 100 beads in total or 33 beads read three times and +1). Occasionally, Islamic prayer beads will have 66 beads +1. Buddhists and Hindus use the Japa Mala, which usually has 108 beads, or 27 which are counted four times. Baha’i prayer beads consist of either 95 beads or 19 beads, which are strung with the addition of five beads below. The Sikh Mala also has 108 beads.
These prayer beads are on a library sample card from the now finished Zeleznobrodske Sklo company of Gablonz. The ZBS company was an amalgamation of hundreds of independant glass makers enforced by the communist regime in the 1950's. The nationalised company controlled all sales of glass products worldwide. 
Every item made had a library copy, of which this is one. The cards will often have hand written notes with lengths available, beads used, costs and weights. 
The beads on prayer beads such as this are often older than mid century as the company took all supplies of beads they could find under control with stocks from the turn of the century included. 
This is sewn on to the card and must be removed carefully by cutting the cotton on the reverse side of the card. These have been in storage for 60 years and there is no guarantee on the stringing.