I'm in love with the pearl treatment on this gable hood:



Supposedly this is a 19th century print of a Holbein drawing.  I'm not so well educated on Holbein's work, so I truly don't know if the pearls are black in the original.  I'm scouring wardrobe accounts trying to find proof of colored pearls, but I'm not having much luck.  I see entries relating to golden pearls, ragged pearls, and even glass pearls, but nothing about black pearls.

So...before my eyes cross any further, does anybody have any evidence that they were available/used?  I have the feeling that the proof will be right there in front of my face.

Of course, if anyone has a suggestion as to what else they could be besides black pearls, please say so.