Strand of old matching Venetian millefiori beads, West Africa

Long strand of old venetian glass beads, from Mali, West Africa. 25 beads of exceptional quality.

Millefiori beads are also known as “mosaic” beads through out the world. The making of millefiori beads is a two step process. First the murrine or cane is made and then these are applied to a molten wound glass core and made into beads.

The millefiori beads made in Venice were imported by the thousands to Africa beginning in the late 1800s and traded or sold for various things. Most of the surviving bead sample cards, showing these beads as they were originally sold are dated to the 1920s, but this does not mean these beads were not made prior to that time. As shown on the bead timeline in the History of Beads (Dubin) millefiori beads are dated to the mid 1800 through the early 1900s.

In good conditions, some chips on some edges, and 1 broken in half ( the smallest).

The strand is 88 cm long (34,64 in)
Longest bead: 57 mm
Shorter bead : 30 mm
Average diameter: 12 mm

It weighs 290 gr.

SOLD