This VERY RARE antique Venetian multimurrine elbow millefiori mosaic glass bead showcases exquisite craftsmanship and intricate trail decoration, making it a highly collectible piece. Created in Venice in the early 1900s, this bead was part of the historic African trade, where Venetian beads were prized and exchanged as currency, symbols of wealth, and adornments.
The bead's vibrant colors and precise detailing reflect the iconic millefiori (meaning "thousand flowers") technique, where various glass rods are skillfully fused to produce captivating floral and geometric patterns.
Specifications:
Size: 37 mm x 10-11 mm
Condition: Excellent (please refer to photos for details)
Venetian artisans crafted these beads by layering molten glass and arranging colorful canes to form intricate patterns, a meticulous process that reflects Venice’s centuries-old glasswork mastery. In Africa, especially in Ghana, these glass trade beads held significant cultural and economic value, treasured by local communities for their beauty and symbolic meaning in trade and ceremonies.
