{"product_id":"loose-mixed-venetian-trade-beads-matter-collection-155292","title":"Loose Mixed Venetian Trade Beads MATTER COLLECTION","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout 50 Venetian loose trade beads displaying a wide variety of different designs.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Trade Beads\" refer to beads primarily produced in Venice, Bohemia, and other European countries from the late 1400s to the early 1900s, traded in Africa and the Americas. The peak of this trade occurred from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, with the Venetians dominating production. J.F. Sick and Co. and Moses Lewin Levin played significant roles as bead brokers\/importers. The beads gained renewed popularity in the late 1960s when exported from Africa to the U.S. and Europe. The term \"Trade Beads\" became widely used, and they were also known as \"Love Beads\" during the Hippie era. As demand grew, specific names like \"Russian Blues\" and \"Dutch Donuts\" emerged, contributing to the beads' collectability. Today, these beads are highly sought after, with some styles becoming rarer as African traders venture deeper into the continent to find them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProvenance: Matter Collection\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\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\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBead Size: \u003cbr\u003e3-17mm diameter\u003cbr\u003e3-20mm point to point\u003cbr\u003eSee picture with penny for size comparison (US penny is 19mm diameter).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003e155292\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"sku 155000","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51445281784103,"sku":"155292","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1015\/9911\/files\/IMG_9376_012ee8c9-d820-491a-85ab-c2ccbc468b6c.jpg?v=1780077734","url":"https:\/\/africadirect.com\/products\/loose-mixed-venetian-trade-beads-matter-collection-155292","provider":"Africa Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}