19th C. African Italian Glass Trade Bead Necklaces (4)

Europe, Italy, possibly Venice; West Africa, possibly Nigeria or Mali, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. A dazzling ensemble of glass beads strung on 4 modern strands to be wearable as necklaces. The first 2 necklaces are each comprised of dozens of spherical beads, all boasting brilliant and translucent hues of cobalt. The next necklace features 14 elongated cuboid millefiori beads of navy with target-motif designs of white, yellow, and red, as well as dozens of white barrel and blue discoid glass beads. At the center of this necklace is a large, ultramarine, egg-shaped bead flanked by a pair of African biconical brass beads, while an additional African brass bead of barrel form lies at the opposite side. Last, the longest necklace displays 39 huge, tubular glass beads in a style known as chevron with vertical stripes in deep shades of blue on the exterior and red and white on the peripheries and interior. Size (longest necklace): 17.5" L (44.4 cm); (largest bead): 1.1" L x 0.8" W (2.8 cm x 2 cm)

These blue cylindrical and rectangular beads are of the millefiori style. To make millefiori beads, artisans produced glass canes or rods, called murrine, by layering different-colored glass around a core. At this stage, their multicolored patterns were only visible from the cut ends of the cane. The rods were heated in a furnace, stretched - thus revealing the patterns throughout - and then cut into beads. Trade beads played a major role in the age of European exploration and colonization, serving as currency on multiple continents.

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s

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#168474
Condition Report: All beads are of the period stated and strung on modern strands to be wearable. Repairs to blue egg-shaped bead with break lines visible. Losses to 4 chevron beads. Almost all beads have nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age and wear. Otherwise, all are very nice and wearable.