Beads represent the oldest form of art. They were the first durable ornaments, coveted by mankind not only for their beauty, but also for their supposed magical and talismanic properties. Made of materials such as shell, bone, seed, wood, metal and glass beads, have been used as units of currency in many parts of the world. This work examines beads in Western and Central Asia from the Eastern Mediterranean to Mesopotamia, Iran and Afghanistan, many items dating from late-Roman to mid-Islamic times.