Rare Antique Venetian Multimurrine Elbow Millefiori Glass Trade Bead

Discover a rare and stunning antique Venetian Elbow Millefiori mosaic trade bead, featuring intricate multimurrine and trail decorations. This early 1900s glass trade bead embodies the artistry and craftsmanship of Venetian glassmakers, celebrated for their millefiori techniques that have fascinated collectors for centuries. Perfectly sized for standout jewelry or display, this bead is a remarkable piece of history used in African trade. A unique collector’s item, this bead tells a story of artistic heritage and cross-cultural exchange.

Size:

• Length: 37 mm
• Diameter: 10 mm

Condition:

• Excellent condition (minor decoration loss; see photos)

Each millefiori bead was crafted meticulously in Venice, Italy, using an intricate glass-making process. Artisans would bundle and slice colorful glass canes to form the “thousand flowers” mosaic design, a technique that continues to intrigue collectors and historians. These beads held significant cultural value, especially in Ghana and across Africa, where they were exchanged as symbols of wealth and social status.

Explore more from TribalGH's collections:

• Current Millefiori Beads Collection
• Antique Trade Beads Collection
• Sold Millefiori Beads Archive