Rare Large Antique Millefiori Venetian Mosaic Glass Trade Bead, 41x13 mm

Add a touch of historical elegance to your collection with this rare, antique Venetian millefiori mosaic glass trade bead, celebrated for its vibrant colors and intricate craftsmanship. This impressive bead, dating from the early 1900s, was hand-crafted in Venice and designed with the millefiori ("thousand flowers") technique, making it a treasured artifact in the realm of African trade beads.

• Size:

  • Length: 41 mm
  • Diameter: 13 mm

• Condition:

  • Very good, with light beveling and minimal chipping at the ends (see photos for details).

Created with meticulous artistry, this bead reflects Venice's renowned glasswork techniques. The process involves layering colored glass canes to form striking floral patterns, then shaping these into beads that retain a radiant, colorful mosaic effect. Millefiori beads like this one played an important role in West African trade, particularly in Ghana, where they were highly valued and exchanged as currency and for their cultural significance.

Explore more unique pieces in TribalGH's collection:

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