Tanzanian Maasai Wire and Bead Bangle

This is a circular bangle featuring a distinctive coiled-wire construction, characteristic of artisan jewelry from East Africa, specifically the Maasai tradition. The item is composed of a continuous base wire tightly wrapped with a fine silver-toned or steel wire, creating a rhythmic, undulating ribbed texture along the circumference. Interspersed among the coiled sections are five decorative wire-caged segments. Each cage holds small glass or stone beads in alternating hues of deep emerald green and amethyst purple. The construction shows high manual dexterity with the coils transitioning from tight, dense wraps to wider, spiral 'cages' that secure the beads in place. There are also two sections where the wire appears slightly loosened or stretched, likely serving as the start/end points of the wrapping or acting as flexible expansion joints. The metal exhibits a bright, cool luster with minimal oxidation, suggesting a contemporary 20th to 21st-century production. Condition is generally good, though some minor irregular spacing in the coils indicates hand-crafted origin rather than factory machining. No maker's marks are visible, which is standard for this style of ethnographic folk art jewelry.