Necklace c. 20th century

This necklace was made by an anonymous maker with shell and metal. The whole thing is understated. It's like a quiet hum of material. I’m struck by the variations in the shell beads. Each one is slightly different in tone, some are darker, some lighter, some have more pronounced striations and some less, all these little shell beads are stacked together like a painter layering brushstrokes, each touch affecting the whole. The metal beads are more uniform but seem worn with age, and each has an incised line, it looks like the maker was thinking about what could be achieved through small simple gestures, repetition and difference. Thinking about its overall form, the necklace reminds me of some of the work of Ree Morton in its quiet way. And yet, this necklace asserts its own unique presence. There is something really timeless about it.