Millefiori Venetian Trade Beads Matched Rare Yellow and Red Cooper Collection 34 Inch

Millefiori, translating to "a thousand flowers" in Italian, are also known as "mosaic" beads. Crafting these involves a two-step process: creating murrine or canes, then applying these to a molten glass core, shaping them into beads. Venice produced millefiori beads, massively exported to Africa from the late 1800s, and traded for various goods. Surviving bead sample cards, showcasing these beads' original sales, often date back to the 1920s, but their production likely began earlier, spanning from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. In the late 1960s, antique millefiori beads arrived in the US from Africa, marketed as "Trade Beads" by importers and African Traders. Today, some traders still offer millefiori beads under the "Trade Beads" label.

Provenance: Austin Cooper Collection

The collection of Austin Cooper, whose collection, was built over 30 years ago, contained superb examples of ancient beads, Venetian and other European trade beads, Bodom, Akoso, and Kiffa beads, Jatim, and other rare Asian beads. Austin had a superb eye, and Africa Direct is proud to be able to offer his beads, his legacy, many of which are of a quality rarely available today.

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

150814