Antique Red Banded Oval Millefiori Mosaic Beads, Venetian Trade Glass

Discover the beauty and history of these rare antique Venetian red-banded oval millefiori mosaic glass beads. Crafted with precision in Venice, these beads showcase a deep, rich red color adorned with intricate millefiori designs. Made specifically for African trade in the early 1900s, these beads carry both artistic value and cultural significance.

Size of Beads:

• Length: 13-14 mm
• Width: 10 mm

Condition:

• Very good condition with light beveling, maintaining the original craftsmanship and luster.

These Venetian millefiori beads, also known as mosaic or African trade beads, were meticulously handmade through a labor-intensive process involving layering colored glass rods and intricate cane slices to achieve the complex, multi-layered designs that give them their name—millefiori, or "a thousand flowers." For centuries, these beads held immense value in trade across Africa, especially in Ghana, where they became symbols of wealth, cultural identity, and artisanal beauty.

Explore more in our collections of antique beads:

• Millefiori Beads Collection
• Old Trade Beads Collection
• Millefiori Beads Archives