Description
PRODUCT DETAILS + Other Names - Trade beads, floral bead + Type of Object - Wound & decorated + Made in - Venice + Traded in - Africa + Overall Condition - Excellent. Some of these beads have traveled at least three continents, & have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, & pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age & extensive use. + Bead Size - 20-24 mm in diameter. See photo with ruler for size comparison. + Brand - Unbranded + Style - Beads + Type - Loose Beads PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Indonesian excellent copies of traditional "Ambassador" Trade beads. Includes 5 loose beads with each order. THE SMITH COLLECTION A passionate collector, Dave Smith was first introduced to the trade bead industry in the 1970's. It was during this decade where he fell in love with trade beads for the next twenty years. Trade beads became a priority in his life, & he attended many rendezvous, both buying & selling . At his core, Dave was a healer & he was an esteemed bodyworker, using alternative approaches to healing the body. Dave's bead collection has been in storage for more than 20 years...the condition of the beads is superb. Africa Direct is honored to be able to share his collection with the world. The term "Trade Beads" typically applies to beads made predominately in Venice & Bohemia & other European countries from the late 1400s through to the early 1900s & traded in Africa & the Americas. Many of these beads have been attributed to being made in Germany, France & the Netherlands as well. The heyday of this "trade" period was from the mid 1800s through the early 1900s when millions of these beads were produced & traded in Africa. The Venetians dominated this market & produced the majority of the beads sold during this time. The J.F. Sick & Co, based in Germany & Holland was one of the largest bead brokers/importers during this period. Moses Lewin Levin was a bead importer/exporter who operated out of London from 1830 to 1913. You can see 4 of the Levin trade bead sample cards from 1865 in The History of Beads (Dubin) The popularity of these beads was revived in the late 1960s when they began to be exported from Africa into the United States & Europe. The term "Trade Beads" became very popular during this time period & is still used for the same bead reference today. The millefiori beads were also called "Love Beads" & used in necklaces with peace symbols during the Hippie days. As the popularity & availability of these old beads grew they started getting "named". We started hearing terms like "Russian Blues", "Dutch Donuts", "King Beads". Although some of these folklore names are totally meaningless...ie...."Lewis & Clarke" beads, they do describe a specific type of bead. & today these beads are more popular & collectable than ever. Thousands of these beads are in private collections around the world. The African Traders are having to go deeper & deeper into Africa to find more of these beads & many styles which were readily
