Artistic Evaluation of Glass Beads

Art is the symbol of every culture and society. Glass bead making technique is among the oldest art. Glass beads are reckoned to be an empirical evidence of mankind's aesthetic sense and skill. Glass beads are generally used to simulate the precious stones and metals. In earlier time, glass bead jeweleries were preserver as antiques for royalty and nobility by king. Ancient Egypt used glass beads for making various ornaments. Venetians introduced the modern era glass bead making technique in 1480. It traded through China, Africa and America however, the making technique remained as a secret with the Venetians. It was Venice that controlled the manufacturing of glass beads however, other European countries like Germany and Netherlands also started manufacturing glass beads which were exported to different continents by the trade ships.

The full fledged production of glass beads in modern times was attributed to Art Nouveau, subsequently the influence of Arts and Crafts movement accelerated the production of beads. This movement was centered on the incorporation of articles into objects meant for day to day uses and laying importance on the design rather than on the value of materials. Glass beads can be evaluated through the design and the art used in making the beads.

Wound Glass Beads: These beads were made through winding technique and originated from France. The process used for winding is called marvering. Generally these beads are for lamp-work use.

Drawn Glass Beads: Drawing of glass bead originates from India which is mostly traded in Zimbabwe and south Africa. Different region has different technique of making drawn glass beads. Seed bead is a micro drawn glass bead which stands for example of modern drawn glass bead.

Molded Beads: They are made in Czech Republic and labour cost is high for such beads however, one operator can make large number of beads in a day.