{"product_id":"23-king-venetian-yellow-trade-beads-matter-collection-155354","title":"23 King Venetian Yellow Trade Beads MATTER COLLECTION","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"King Beads\" are wonderful old Venetian wound and marvered bicone beads. Sometime in the past, probably in the heyday of the import of African Trade beads in the early 1970s, these were given the name of \"King\" beads. The legend has it that these were worn by African \"Kings\"(Chiefs). \"King\" beads come in a large variety of colors, trailing designs and sizes but always in a bicone shape. The earliest versions of these beads can be dated back to the mid-1800s and represented on Moses Lewin Levin bead sample cards which were donated to the British Museum in 1865. These old Venetian \"King\" beads were made up to the 1920s and later versions are represented on Sick and Co. bead sample cards from this period. Still revered in Africa today, these old beads are on prominent display in Dipo Initiation ceremonies in Ghana, where the yellow forms, in particular, represent maturity and prosperity. This would explain the popularity of the yellow-striped \"King\" beads. \"King\" beads are highly collectible and there are some spectacular private collections of these beads in America, Africa, Japan, and Europe.\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProvenance: Matter Collection\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the collection of Margie and Phil Matter. Margie lived in South Africa, and later she and her husband Phil opened a gallery in Tucson. Everything in this collection was in their home for more than thirty years. Africa Direct recently bought the collection; at 95, Margie wants to share the things she has loved so much. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_MetafieldField_18aa6_4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_RowWrapper_1esmo_6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_1esmo_32\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_MetafieldField_18aa6_4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_RowWrapper_1esmo_6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_1esmo_32\"\u003e23 Loose Beads\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_MetafieldField_18aa6_4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_RowWrapper_1esmo_6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_1esmo_32\"\u003eBead Size: \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e12-20mm diameter. See penny photos for size comparison.\u003cbr\u003e9-15mm point to point\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_FormFieldLabel_1esmo_32\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e155354\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"sku 155000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51454354358567,"sku":"155354","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_3675_2cde5e06-8c10-4465-9f9e-44470412e52e.jpg?v=1780411126","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/23-king-venetian-yellow-trade-beads-matter-collection-155354","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}