Discover a rare and beautiful Venetian elbow millefiori trade bead, originally crafted in Venice, Italy in the early 1900s. Highly sought after in African trade, this exceptional mosaic glass bead displays intricate, multicolored millefiori patterns, radiating the artistry and sophistication for which Venetian glass is renowned. This bead, featured in Picard, Volume VI, p. 36, bead 593, is a collector’s treasure with historical and aesthetic appeal.
Size:
Length: 45 mm
Width: 12 mm
Condition:
Very Good: Slight chipping (please refer to photos for details)
Each Venetian millefiori bead is created through a meticulous and labor-intensive process. Artisans in Venice carefully layered and fused colored glass canes, which they then sliced into cross-sections to reveal the iconic floral and geometric mosaic designs. These beads became valuable items of trade, particularly in Africa, where they were exchanged for goods and gained cultural significance in regions like Ghana. Highly prized for their beauty and symbolic value, these beads were integral to African trade and are revered today as historical artifacts.
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