An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.30

v1.c15.s1.30

[For the description of geometrically shaped beads the following conventions are usually followed. In regard to size, a ‘short’ bead is one in which the thickness, i.e. section, is greater than this length; a ‘standard’ bead has both the section and length more or less equal; in a ‘long’ bead, the section is appreciably shorter than the length. For the description of the shape of a bead, hold the bead with its hole in the horizontal position and parallel to the eye. The elevation thus obtained is its primary shape, such as barrel, tubular, cylinder, bicone, oblate, etc. The cross-section through the centre of the beads cutting the hole at right angles gives its secondary shape, for example, circular, elliptical, square, hexagonal, etc. In addition geometrically shaped beads may be spheroid, cornerless cube (i.e. multifaceted) and so on.]