When people around the world grew tired of their drab clothing and belongings, they began decorating them. They added color by painting or dying the material or weaving in whatever raw materials were available.
About 100,000 years ago, they further embellished their appearance by wearing necklaces of seeds, animal teeth, quills, bones, shells, or colorful stones, through which they had painstakingly bored holes. The pieces were strung together with sinew or fiber threads from plants.
“Beads in general have been used by virtually every culture around the world,” said Brian Robertshaw of Brattleboro, Vermont, an authority on historical beads and proprietor of the bead supply shop Beadniks. “The earliest forms of glass beads were made in Mesopotamia, from a pottery glaze, which morphed into a glass-like material. True glass beads date back about 4,000 years, and the Egyptians and Chinese made them around 2,000 BC to 1,000 BC. They were a form of currency, so popularity rose fast.”
Later, Bohemia became a large center for the production of glass beads, which were primarily worn by the wealthy. During the third or fourth century AD, prayer beads were first used by many religions in Europe and Asia.
Around 1290, intricate glass beads were produced in Venice and sold throughout Europe. Early explorers and traders bartered these colorful beads with natives along their trade routes in Asia and Africa, where they were greatly admired and sewn onto clothing and personal belongings.
“By the 1400s, traders and merchants had introduced glass beads to Native Americans. Columbus brought beads that he traded or gave away to win favors with the locals,” Robertshaw said. “These beads were very valuable. It’s documented that in 1750, one large Dutch blue bead was traded for four beaver pelts, and it’s said that $24 worth of beads bought Manhattan.”
Bead weaving became sacred to many cultures around the world, and various cultures used different bead weaving techniques. Some patterns or colors identified particular tribal or family groups or conveyed messages.
Today, beads are made all around the world, fashioned from wood, precious and semi-precious minerals, glass, paper, and plastic. Round beads are common, but some are formed in various shapes, faceted, carved, or inlaid.
Throughout Africa and among the Native Americans, beadwork is used to decorate ceremonial headdresses, tunics, masks, baskets, and other objects.
The Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner is featuring a new display on beading in the lobby, which includes a timeline of historical beads by Brian Robertshaw, as well as elaborately beaded attire. This display will be on exhibit until the end of October, and the public is invited to visit the museum to view it and learn about the craft.
More information may be found on the museum’s website at IndianMuseum.org.