The Early History of Beads Presented by Julie Delaney

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1 The Early History of Beads Presented by Julie Delaney Based on The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present, Revised and Expanded Edition by Lois Sherr Dubin pages

2 Introduction Definition: A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under a millimeter to over a centimeter millimeter to over a centimeter to well over 10 cm. Materials: Glass, plastic and stone are the most common materials, but beads are also made from bone, horn, ivory, metal, shell, pearl, coral, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, synthetic minerals, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, and seeds. Existence: Beads have existed since the earliest pre-historic times. A pair of beads made from a sea snail shell are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewelry. (approximately 100,000 years). By the 'dawn of civilization' in ancient Sumerian and Egyptian societies, the use of beads was already 'quite old'. It was the ancient Egyptians who discovered the process of making glass itself.

3 The Beginnings The earliest known beads are associated with Middle Paleolithic people. Discovered at Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel in Israel. Remains of 7 adults and 3 children. Some may have been deliberate burials. Approximately 108,000 BC The Skhul Cave beads predate the earliest known figurative art by about 75,000 years.

4 Paleolithic Beads Early beads reflect the intellect of Upper Paleolithic people who were able to develop abstract forms and symbols. Beads were self-conscious expressions of achievement and symbolized peoples need for spiritual assistance in obtaining resources. They were amuletic, made from parts of the animal: bone, teeth, tusks, and shells. The appearance of jewelry can be associated with the growing need for personal identity when the human population expanded and large scale communities evolved 30,000 to 20,000 years ago.

5 Paleolithic Beads continued Beads are among the earliest evidence of abstract thinking. They could not kill an animal or provide warmth but they could render in material form concepts of prestige, prowess, and beauty. Beads were a conscious effort at self beautification. Ornaments made from parts of animals were metaphors for imbuing the wearer with the animal s courage and strength. The owners tied the beads together to wear them.

6 Paleolithic Beads continued Beads were shaped by chipping, grinding, and polishing, then perforated by a sharppointed stone tool.

With reference to Neolithic Egypt, no other civilization, manufactured such and enormous variety of beads in so many different materials.

7 Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was very much a part of Africa's Neolithic period. Their word for luck was "sha" and "sha sha" meant bead. Egyptians used beads to cover almost every article of clothing and any uncovered part of the body. Quantities of beads were buried with the owner to ensure comfort in the afterlife. With reference to Neolithic Egypt, no other civilization, manufactured such and enormous variety of beads in so many different materials. They were not only used for necklaces but were also attached to linen and papyrus backings to make belts, aprons, and sandals. Beadwork originated in Old Kingdom Egypt about 2200 BC. Beads were commonly worn to protect the wearer from misfortune, rather to express status or wealth. During ancient Egyptian times, virtually everyone wore beads, male, female, young and old.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FAIENCE BEADS Faience is a siliceous vitrified and glazed fired ceramic, made of a body of fine ground quartz or sand, coated with an

Around the beginning of glass production, about 1500 BC, additional colors were created including cobalt blue, manganese purple and lead antimonate

Invented in Mesopotamia or Egypt by 4000 BC, faience was the first mass-produced synthetic material to simulate precious stone such as turquoise and

8 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FAIENCE BEADS Faience is a siliceous vitrified and glazed fired ceramic, made of a body of fine ground quartz or sand, coated with an alkaline-lime-silica glaze. The original colors of faience were created by adding copper (to get a turquoise color) or manganese (to get black). Around the beginning of glass production, about 1500 BC, additional colors were created including cobalt blue, manganese purple and lead antimonate yellow. The greatest number of Egyptian beads were made of faience, and inexpensive substance generally considered to be the forerunner of true glass. Invented in Mesopotamia or Egypt by 4000 BC, faience was the first mass-produced synthetic material to simulate precious stone such as turquoise and lapis lazuli. The development of faience and eventually glass satisfied the desire of the general populace to wear beads that emulated the precious stones of the wealthy.

Mesopotamia 4000-3000 BC, the three earliest centers of civilization were based in agriculturally rich river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India.

9 Mesopotamia BC, the three earliest centers of civilization were based in agriculturally rich river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India. The role of beads as status symbol surpassed their ritual or magical functions. Priests and kings employed full-time jewelers and through their patronage, beadmaking technology developed rapidly. Different materials were found in different locations stimulating trade and transport of bead making materials.

10 Distribution of Bead Materials It s amazing how far beads and their materials traveled this long ago.

Beadwork were prepared for funerary purposes.

11 Egypt Beads were made of gold and semiprecious stones and were threaded with gold wire. Broad beaded collars were made along with beaded sandals. Beadwork were prepared for funerary purposes. In reliefs, lapidaries and metalsmiths are shown working together under supervison of a chief jeweler. The Egyptians integrated spacers into design.

12 Discovery of Glass The first examples of man-made glass date to the last quarter of the 3rd millennium BC when glass beads were first made in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The earliest historian to write about the history of glass making was Pliny the Elder. He wrote about an unintentional discovery. On a long-forgotten evening after landing on the coast of eastern Mediterranean near the mouth of the Belus River, the Phoenicians set about the task of preparing their evening meal. Being unable to find proper rocks on which to set their pots, they obtained some cakes of saltpeter (also known as natrum or subcarbonate of soda) from their ship's cargo and placed their cooking vessels on them before lighting a fire. The heat from the flames caused the saltpeter and quartz sand on the shore to melt. These combined into streams of an unknown fluid, which hardened into a translucent substance later known as glass.

Early Glass Glass beads are known from 2181-2160 BC The were first manufactured for large commercial market in 1400 BC in Egypt.

13 Early Glass Glass beads are known from BC The were first manufactured for large commercial market in 1400 BC in Egypt. Early glass, an exotic material, was used by pharaohs and their courts but became available to commoners. Glass began to replace precious and semiprecious stones. Egyptians favored deeply colored opaque glass because it resembled lapis and turquoise.

14 Phoenicia 1200 BC Present day Lebanon Leading navigators and traders. Highly skilled glass beadmakers borrowing styles from other civilizations. They made glass vessels over a core. Semi-transparent glass was most popular. Five colors: white, blue, yellow, green and purplish brown.

Roman Empire 100-476 AD There were factories in the roman empire making glass beads in Syria, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, the Rhineland, France and England.

15 Roman Empire AD There were factories in the roman empire making glass beads in Syria, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, the Rhineland, France and England. Everywhere Romans went, they brought glass beads to trade. Roman glass beads have been found in Scandinavia, china, Korea, Iran, Syria, Mali, and Ethiopia. During 1 st century, newly invented furnaces with hotter hires were capable of creating more fluid glass, affecting bead shapes and patterns.

Roman Empire continued The blowpipe was invented reputedly in Sidon and modernized glass industry by increasing level of production and opening way to new techniques and styles.

16 Roman Empire continued The blowpipe was invented reputedly in Sidon and modernized glass industry by increasing level of production and opening way to new techniques and styles. More glass was made in the first century AD than in previous fifteen hundred years because materials was widely obtainable, relatively inexpensive, and everyone could afford to wear beads. European beads were poorer quality than glass beads from Byzantine empire.

17 Byzantine Empire 330 AD Capitol in Constantinople Byzantine jewelry was worn primarily by the elite. Contained precious metals and stones rarely using glass As the age of classical antiquity came to an end, Christianity influenced wearing of jewelry with the incorporation of symbols.

18 African Trade Beads Beads are one of the earliest forms of currency used in trade. From the 16th century, a large production of decorative beads was manufactured for the exchange of goods, services and slaves. Beads were made to ease the passage of European explorers, mainly to the African and American continents. They were produced throughout Europe, while Venetians dominated production. Thousands of tons of beads were sent to Africa as ballast in slave ships on their outbound voyage, which led to the name "Slave Bead". Beads were not only exchanged for human cargo, but also ivory, gold and other goods desired in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The success of bead currency in Africa can largely be attributed to the high intrinsic value Africans placed on decorative items. Social status was easily determined by the quality, quantity and style of jewelry worn, which created the high demand for trade beads throughout the region. Because of this, beads were produced according to local demand and design.

Chevron Chevron Beads were traded throughout the world from the late 15th century. Christopher Columbus traded Chevrons when discovering the New World.

19 Chevron Chevron Beads were traded throughout the world from the late 15th century. Christopher Columbus traded Chevrons when discovering the New World. They were introduced into Africa by Dutch merchants. The first specimens were created by glass bead makers in Venice and Murano Italy. Chevrons were originally called Rosetta beads, or star beads. Chevron beads were traditionally made up of red, blue and white layers. A smaller number of chevron beads were produced in green, black and yellow. Chevrons were 'drawn beads', made from glass 'canes' created in specifically constructed star mold. Typically, four to seven layers of different colored glass was added to the mold, conforming to the star mold. Metal plates were affixed to the hot glass which was then 'drawn' into a long rod called 'canes', by pulling from opposite directions. A bubble which had been blown into the center of the original molten ball of glass formed the hole in the cane. The diameter of the cane or beads was determined by how thin the glass was drawn out. The cooled cane was cut into bead sizes, revealing a star pattern at either cut section. Each end was then ground or faceted to enhance and display the star chevron pattern. Star beads with flat ends are more correctly known as 'Rosetta star beads'.

20 Powder Glass Beads Sand Cast Beads Powder glass beads are made from finely ground glass which is then fused. The earliest powder glass beads were discovered during archaeological excavations at Mapungubwe in present day South Africa and date to 970 to 1000 AD. Ghana is the center of powder glass bead production in Africa, where bead making was first documented by John Barbot in The great majority of beads were produced by Ashanti and Krobo people. The beads play an important role in rituals of birth, coming of age, marriage and death.

21 Millefiori Mosaic Beads Millefiori, derived from mille 'or thousand' and fiori 'or flowers' means thousand flowers. It is a detailed glasswork technique which produced distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term first appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in Prior to 1839 the process was called 'mosaic'. Mosaic beads are traced to ancient Rome, Phoenician and Alexandrine. Archaeological sites in Ireland uncovered canes dating to the 8th century that were probably made in Venice. Prior to the 15th century, glassmakers were only producing beads from Rosetta canes. Like Chevrons, Rosetta beads were made by layering a number of layers of colored glass in a mold and then pulling it from either end into a cane. The cane was then cut into short segments.

22 Dutch Dogon Beads Holland manufactured some of the earliest beads for the African trade in the 1500s. Archaeological excavations in the old parts of Amsterdam suggest the existence of a glass bead making industry by More than fifty thousand whole and fragmentary drawn glass beads were recently found in late sixteenth century landfills at Waterlooplein, the old Jewish quarter. Dutch bead making appears to have had a relatively short, but active life. By 1550, Venetian glassmakers from Murano were working in Holland. From at least 1600 to 1750, beads manufactured in Holland were carried by Dutch, English, and French explorers and merchants to North America, South and West Africa, and Indonesia.

Weinberg Gallery of Ancient Art Ancient Glass

Weinberg Gallery of Ancient Art Ancient Glass Ancient Glass Object List (1) 83.189 Two-handled Unguent Flask Roman, 4 th c. C.E. Bluish-green glass with copper blue thread and trails Weinberg Fund C-27.5