The following is a collection of notes on antique beads, simply a reflection on their diversity and beauty. S Manning.
" I have never before written to you for something precious I wanted, but if you are truly my father, get me a fine string full of beads.....if you have none at hand, dig it out of the ground wherever such things are found and send it to me...... it should be full of beads and should be beautiful". Letter to Uzalum from son Adad-Abum, 1800 BC .1 .(image W2099M) Nothing has changed since the letter to Uzalum was written nearly 4000 years ago, in fact those beads may well still be in existence and may even be worn by someone! Antique beads have a special appeal to those of us who see their beauty.
For me it's the patina, the obvious age, texture and ancient handcraft techniques used in their production. |
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Buying antique beads
For the inexperienced purchasing antique beads can be perplexing and the unwary can easily be led astray by unscrupulous sellers and dealers. For some it's next to impossible to tell the difference between new and old. One of the criteria we select our senior staff at Timbuktu To Kathmandu on is their ability to distinguish new from old and old from antique. This skill can be learned by some and others have it naturally. I guess that's what makes a good collector in the end, one who can spot rare or unusual items with certainty while others simply remain blind to them.
Buying overseas is in my opinion is the most rewarding way to collect beads or artefacts. By "going deep" as one friend of mine calls it, you experience the environment in which the beads lived or existed. |
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This adds priceless personal value to the object by creating another dimension. Beads can be found in many countries around the world, you don't need to trek through the jungles of Africa. Europe and our close Asian neighbours have good markets where old and antique beads can still be found at reasonable prices. Be prepared to pay a premium for beads of high quality with little or no damage. Some very rare beads Chevron seven layer in blue and green for example fetch prices in the thousands. Any damage to the bead will reduce the price. Small chips that are rounded of by wear and age reduce the price a little, while large fresh chips render a bead to as little as 10% or even 5% of its premium value. Chose your vendor carefully
Accurate knowledge of bead provenance and antiquity is thin in the retail trade. The quick buck tends to rule with many retailers telling the customer what they want to hear. There is a general reluctance in retail to admit that something may be a reproduction or a fake. Chose your dealer or shop carefully, ask around, see if they have a good reputation. Look at how the shop is presented, does it look like a personal collection collated with empathy and respect or is it strictly a merchandising tool. I have never had a good deal from a shark!
Fakes and Imitations
Can you tell a fake? Think about it. Artisans have spent millennia perfecting the art of imitation. You need to spend time learning and examining the real and the imitation in an effort to be certain of the difference. If you can't tell the difference why pay the extra? Why not be content with the imitation? In many circumstances a fake may be more suitable or appropriate. The critical point is you must be able to tell the difference so you can make a choice.
Beware of Imitations currently being produced in china now many people are buying Coral, Turquoise, Jade, and a variety of other semi-precious stones that are dyed Sea Bamboo or Howlite. Real Coral is expensive, Sea Bamboo is in-expensive.
New beads can be tumbled in oil, rubbed with wax and made to look every bit antique. These imitations can be beautiful and make great jewellery but may fade or deteriorate with time.
The bottom line is enjoy the experience take your time and seek the advice of knowledgeable people.
Desirable and collectable
Beads have all the characteristics most desirable in collectable objects. They are portable, durable and can be worn, are pleasing aesthetically, widely varied and keep their value. Unlike most artefacts, beads are not subject to rot or attack by insects, which makes them some of the oldest artefacts to be found. Beads have always been a medium of trade, exchange or barter. From earliest times, there has been nomadic peoples who could not accumulate and carry bulky material possessions. Beads they could barter for food, livestock and other items in bad times, but they could be kept for aesthetic and magical reasons in good times.
Since the early times of human development, beads where made of natural materials, stone, bone, teeth, claws, shell, amber and vegetable material. Throughout history, some of these beads have been amongst the most highly prized: pearls, amber and copal resin, carnelian and agate, cowries and conus shell. (Up until 1940 in certain parts of Africa, and the Pacific cowries and cone shell where used as legal tender instead of coins and paper money.) 2. |
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Millefiore beads
Often referred to as Trade Beads and found throughout Africa. They are mosaic glass beads made by an ancient technique invented in western Asia during the first millennium B.C, The glass is built up through the use of many small cross sections of multicoloured canes fused together or embedded onto a matrix. The canes may be simple or compound in composition.3. The word Millefiore refers to the pattern which resembles thousands of flowers.
Antique Millefiore beads are becoming harder to find now with the rarer colours and patterns very expensive. Beware of imitations coming out of China, India, Indonesia. The genuine Millefiore is easy to tell apart from an imitation by the colour of the glass and the centre is usually black.
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Ref .1. A Universal Aesthetic Collectible Beads. Author: Robert K Liu, Pub, Ornament Inc USA. Preface.
Ref.2."The beads in Africa,an Introduction" published by Totem Meneghelli Galleries SA.
Ref.3. The History Of Beads, Lois Sherr Dubin, Pub Thames and Hudson. Page 112 |
