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glass beadmaking. Venetian glass beads that date to the early to Both Jamey Allen
mid-1800s are simpler. But, by the mid- to late 1800s, its artisans (www.beadcollector.net)
rediscovered the complicated, multi-step technique and took it to new and the Picard Trade Bead
heights. The millefiori beads were made primarily in Venice in the late Museum (www.picard-
1800s, and most were exported to Africa for trading. beads.com) have discussed
In the first half of the 20th century, the German distributor J.F. Sick the complex process of
& Co., with offices in Venice and Holland, was the major supplier of making millefiori beadmak-
millefiori beads to West Africa. When the firm closed its office in ing techniques in detail.
Venice in 1964, it donated its sample collection of about 22,000 A brief consideration of
Venetian glass beads and sample cards to the Tropenmuseum in basic methods follows.
Amsterdam. This extensive collection, available for viewing online, During each stage,
courtesy of the Tropenmuseum, provides an invaluable resource for described below, an artisan’s
current researchers and collectors. creativity and ability come
into play. Even beads built
ENDURING POPULARITY using the same initial color
In the mid-twentieth sequence for the composite
century, a new style of Simple mosaic glass beads made with cane can end up looking
Venetian millefiori mosaic a plain core, encased with surrounding quite different from one
glass bead was made and glass layers of “eyes.” another, depending upon
strung into Italian necklaces the beadmaker’s choices and
for sale to tourists. At the same intended design. As an illustration, the Text Box and Image below
time, tourists, Peace Corps illustrates how beads exhibiting the same color sequence of yellow-
Twentieth-century millefiori workers, and collectors also white-red-blue varies according to a beadmaker’s preferences and
choices, resulting in significant visual differences in these finished
glass bead necklace from were acquiring large numbers beads, called “eyes,” “flowers,” and stars.
Murano, Italy. of the antique millefiori trade
beads in Africa during the To fabricate millefiori beads, artisans first prepare their materials,
third quarter of the 20th which consist of colorful glass rods called canes. To do so, beadmakers
century. Most of the beads start with a glob or gather of molten glass. A pair of artisans attach two
illustrated in this discussion metal pontils on opposite ends of it. They back away from each other
represent just a few strands of for a distance, thus drawing out the gather to form a long, thin glass
many thousands that were cane that quickly cools and hardens. The glassworkers repeat this
collected in Mali and other process many times to produce multiple glass canes of different colors.
countries in the early 1960s. Next, a selection of these different colored glass canes is bundled to
During this decade, antique form a pleasing arrangement and heated, fusing them together into a
millefiori beads were incorpo- multicolored composite cane with a flower-like or patterned cross-
rated into popular fashion jewelry here in the United States. section. This composite cane is, in turn, heated, drawn out, cooled, and
The antique Venetian millefiori beads also may have inspired cut into thin slices that each reveal the colorful flower-like cross-section.
hippies, or flower children, in Los Angeles and other communities to Finally, the delicate slices are pressed or embedded onto the surface of
make candy glass beads, or “love beads,” featuring a single flowery a malleable, wire-wound glass core and fused to form the finished
millefiori-like slice or two. These beads were often combined with the bead. After cooling, the wire is removed, and individual beads are cut
anti-war peace symbol in casual necklaces and jewelry. into various lengths that are tumbled to smooth the sharp edges. The
In Western life today, the luscious- artisans’ work is done. Their millefiori beads are ready to go out into
looking antique millefiori beads of more the world for all to enjoy.
than a century ago still inspire designers of
distinctive contemporary and fashion
jewelry pieces. A single unique millefiori
bead, or a strand of many beads sporting a
combination of colors and designs, may
be used to create a stunningly patterned
necklace, ring, earrings, or other desired
accessories. Each is guaranteed to be one-
of-a-kind.
When they can be found, antique ach upright bead in this image is built using the same color
millefiori beads may be costly, ranging sequence from the center out—yellow-red-white-blue—to
generally between $15 to $35 per bead, Ecreate the five distinct bead patterns. Artisans made different
or as much as several hundred dollars Timeless millefiori glass beads choices at each step, thus producing these five distinct designs.

per strand. The most expensive generally highlight modern-day Western Left to right:
are curved “elbow” beads that are over 1½" jewelry pieces. 1) “Eye” bead – concentric layers of canes form the “eye” pattern;
long with no flaws or surface chips.
Nevertheless, despite their rarity and costliness, the beads continue 2) Flower-like bead with concentric layers, and bumpy white and
to be sought after to this day. Some so-called millefiori beads are blue layers consisting of tiny canes gathered around the central colors;

being produced in several countries today including China, as well 3) Flower-like bead, with its third layer formed by alternating white
as in Venice itself. However, few contemporary beads achieve the and blue colored tiny canes. More complex, as the preformed, com-
superior quality and aesthetic appeal of the late 19th to early 20th posite cane was then dipped in two additional layers – red and yellow;

century masterpieces. 4) Star bead with a central yellow cane that was inserted into a star-
shaped mold once, then layered with red, white, and blue colors,
PRODUCTION and given an overall hexagonal shape by pressing the still malleable
The sheer number of millefiori mosaic glass beads that found their surface before slicing and pressing onto the core; and

way to market in the worldwide trade network is all the more remark- 5) bead built similarly, with finished design units fused together, and
able when we realize that they are handmade, using multi-stepped, the surface of the finished bead molded or flattened on four sides.
time-consuming methods. Each bead differs slightly from every other.

2021 Annual Glass Section April 2021 31