Mixed White Cobalt Blue Old European Trade Beads Africa Jk Brown factory Collection 142563

PRODUCT DETAILS

+ Type of Object - Wound Glass
+ Made In - Europe
+ Traded In - Africa
+ Overall Condition - Fair. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.
+ Damage/Repair - Chips, cracks, pits, see photos for details
+ Bead Size - 12-17 mm diameter. See picture with ruler for size comparison
+ Strand Length - 24 inches (includes string/raffia)
+ Brand - Unbranded
+ Style - Beaded
+ Type - Strand of beads

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

This strand is not intended to be a ready-to-wear necklace. Although the strand can be worn "as is," the raffia holding it together is not factory durable and may break with use. For this reason, we recommend that you restring the beads before wearing them.



From the JK Brown Collection:



Kathie and Jerry Brown have been collecting trade beads for more than 50 years. They had a business selling them for many years, called “Thunder and Lightning.” According to Jerry, “Kathie was the lightning, and I was the thunder!”



Their collecting began in 1967 when they met a Peace Corps volunteer who was selling his collection to finance a school for African children - and the Browns bought it all. Over the years, they've amassed thousands of strands of Venetian and other European trade beads, as well as made-in-Africa beds and jewelry. They sold at Mountain Man rendezvous and other events. Africa Direct is very proud to be the new owners of this extraordinary collection.



Additional information: Most glass beads produced in Europe from the late 1800s to mid 1900s fall into one of three categories: wound, drawn and molded. Wound beads were manufactured by winding molten glass around a metal rod until it took on the form of the finished bead. Once the glass cooled and hardened, there was no need to perforate it—removing the metal rod left a hole through which the bead could be threaded. Using the wound glass method, beads could be manufactured in small workshops without the need for massive and expensive equipment. But each bead had to be created individually, making cheap, large-scale production impossible. Because of this, another technique was developed and perfected in the famous bead-making workshops of Venice and elsewhere in Europe. In the drawn glass method, molten glass was affixed to metal plates and then drawn out by two workers walking in opposite directions. The malleable glass would stretch until it became a long thin cane which could then be cut into small sections and formed into beads.The information above is drawn primarily from Lois Sherr Dubin's, The History of Beads.



AO0922


SKU: 142563