Heishe

Heishe or heishi (pronounced "hee shee"^[1]) are small disc- or tube-shaped beads made of organic shells or ground and polished stones. They come from the Kewa Pueblo people (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo) of New Mexico, before the use of metals in jewelry by that people.^[2] The name is the word for shell bead in the Eastern Keresan language of the Santo Domingo Indians.^[3]

The oldest specimens of heishe date back to around 6000 BCE,^[1] although the same technique was used in northern Africa 30,000 years ago, using ostrich eggshell.^[3]

Modern heishe beads are commonly mechanically mass-produced; however, some artists still handmake beads. The beads are hand-chipped, with holes drilled through their centers using pointed stones.^[3]

References

Beadwork Beads Aggry beads Bead Chevron bead Glass beadmaking Faturan Hair pipe Heishe Kiffa beads Love beads Millefiori Murano beads Peranakan cut beads Powder glass beads Seed bead Sequin Trade beads Wampum Techniques and tools Bead crochet Bead embroidery Bead stringing Bead weaving Brick stitch Peyote stitch Right-angle weave Square stitch Bead artists Richard Aitson Marcus Amerman Martha Berry Chipeta Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty Teri Greeves Maude Kegg Related The Bead Museum Dentalium shell Quillwork Peranakan beaded slippers Tiger tail wire Bead Game