Presenting a beautiful matching pair of antique Venetian Millefiori mosaic glass trade beads. These rare and collectible beads are featured in Picard Volume VI, p.40, bead 746. Known for their unique patterns and vibrant colors, these Millefiori beads were crafted in Venice in the early 1900s and traded throughout Africa.
Bead size: 23 x 11 mm and 24 x 11 mm
Condition: Very good – lightly beveled and very lightly chipped at the ends (see photos)
Millefiori beads are famous for their intricate designs created through a labor-intensive process of layering molten glass canes, which are then cut to reveal beautiful floral or mosaic patterns. Venetian artisans perfected this craft, and these beads were traded extensively in Ghana and other parts of Africa, becoming prized symbols of wealth and social status.
