This beautiful and rare antique Venetian elbow millefiori bead showcases intricate Venetian craftsmanship and a striking mosaic pattern. Highly valued in the early 1900s African trade, this bead is a fine example of historical Venetian glasswork treasured by collectors.
Size: 49 x 13 mm
Condition: Very good, with a minor chip at one end (please refer to photos for details)
Millefiori, meaning “a thousand flowers” in Italian, is a traditional glassworking technique perfected by Venetian artisans. Each bead’s unique, floral-inspired mosaic pattern is crafted by layering rods of colored glass and fusing them into intricate designs, which are then shaped with skill and precision. Venetian millefiori beads became highly sought after as African trade beads, valued for their beauty and rarity in Ghana and across West Africa, symbolizing wealth and heritage in many communities.
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