Modified Millefiori Trade Bead, Amber, Brick, Blue & White, Tabular, 14x15mm
SKU: AFE-441
Sale price
$12.00
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Only 1 in stock
Description
- This bead was created in Africa in the early 1970s by breaking up cylindrical trade beads and fusing the pieces to create a tabular bead.
- Although most trade beads were accepted the way they arrived, sometimes beads were modified. In Ghana, we discovered that in some cases beads with surface trailed designs were being ground off of amber colored trade beads so they looked more like the traditional gold ornaments the Ashanti people preferred.
- In Abidjan, as vendors discovered that tabular beads brought higher prices, some decided to try to create them out of cylindrical beads by breaking them up and re-fusing them in different shapes. This is one such example.
- Considering the lack of experience and appropriate technology the results, at least in this case, are quite good, however these modified tabulars are easy to differentiate from the ones originally made in Venice and consequently did not bring the anticipated higher prices so the experiment soon ended.
- Regardless of how we might feel about esthetics of these beads, they are quite rare and collectible for students of bead history.
- Trade beads, including this one, have holes big enough for 2mm leather cord