Blue Nueva Cadiz Trade Bead 35mm
Description
Nueva C√°diz trade beads are small glass beads that were used as a form of currency and traded extensively in the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries. These beads were named after the city of Nueva C√°diz, which was located on the island of Cubagua off the coast of Venezuela.
Nueva C√°diz was a major center of pearl fishing in the Caribbean, and the trade beads were used as a means of exchange for pearls, gold, and other goods. The beads were made in Venice, Italy, and were traded to Spanish merchants who brought them to the Americas.
The beads were highly valued by indigenous people and were used for both decorative and practical purposes. They were often worn as jewelry, but they were also used as adornments for clothing and as trade goods. The beads were particularly popular among the indigenous people of what is now Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean.
The production of Nueva C√°diz trade beads declined in the 18th century as other forms of currency, such as coins, became more common. However, they remain an important part of the history of trade and cultural exchange in the Americas. Today, they are valued by collectors and are sometimes used in traditional indigenous costumes and crafts.
The term "Trade Beads" typically applies to beads made predominately in Venice and Bohemia and other European countries from the late 1400s through to the early 1900s and traded in Africa and the Americas. Many of these beads have been attributed to being made in Germany, France and 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 and traded in Africa. The Venetians dominated this market and produced the majority of the beads sold during this time. The J.F. Sick and Co, based in Germany and 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.
The popularity of these beads was revived in the late 1960s when they began to be exported from Africa into the United States and Europe. The term "Trade Beads" became very popular during this time period and is still used for the same bead reference today. The millefiori beads were also called "Love Beads" and used in necklaces with peace symbols during the Hippie days.
As the popularity and 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 and Clarke" beads, they do describe a specific type of bead.
And today these beads are more popular and collectable than ever. Thousands of these beads are in private collections around the world. The African Traders are having to go deeper and deeper into Africa to find more of these beads and many styles which were readily available just 5 years ago are no longer seen today.
There are exceptional museum collections of trade beads at the Museum of Mankind in London, the Pitt River Museum in Oxford, the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Belgium, the Murano Museum of Glass in Italy, the Tropical Royal Institute of Amsterdam, and the Picard Trade Bead Museum in California, US to name a few.
One of the most intriguing aspects to these beads is how they have survived a hundred or more years of wear and the travel through at least three continents. Another mystery is who wore them before us who will have them next.......after us.
Approximate Age: Late 19th to Mid 20th Century
People: Venetian
Country of Origin: Europe
Size Details
Material
Condition
Overall Condition: Good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners.