Rare Antique Venetian Millefiori Mosaic Trade Bead - 24 x 10mm

Add a remarkable piece of history to your collection with this beautiful rare antique Venetian millefiori mosaic glass trade bead. Crafted in Venice in the early 1900s, this bead boasts the intricate millefiori ("thousand flowers") technique, showcasing vibrant patterns and deep hues. Originally made to be traded across African markets, these beads hold immense historical and cultural significance, especially in regions like Ghana.

Each bead was carefully created using the mosaic glass technique, where colorful glass rods were fused, sliced, and polished to create unique floral and geometric patterns. The result is a stunning piece with deep layers of history embedded within each design.

Size:

• 24 x 10 mm

Condition:

• Very good (very lightly chipped at the ends)

Millefiori beads were integral to African trade, highly valued across the continent as symbols of wealth and social status. Beads like these were exchanged along trade routes across Ghana and the greater African region, where they became a crucial part of local culture and ceremonial life.

Explore more exquisite finds from TribalGH's millefiori collection and discover the lasting allure of Venetian trade beads:

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