They fall into two types - one with blue crumbs, the other with predominantly green. The crumbs in both types seem to be fragments of cane. The beads with blue crumbs also have tiny bits of aventurine cane.

I did some rather rocky photos comparing these beads with a strand of what I am told was determined to be "Boshan" glass beads. These also have tiny speckles of aventurine.

Thoughts?

Brass canister finial.

A necklace I own with what appear to be antique Chinese twisted wire cloisonne beads.

A photo of the strand I just acquired, since I just edited it.

JDA.

Chris, Jamey - what are the sizes of the Boshan beads you are showing?

Note, my beads were from a couple of sources - the necklace composition is mine.

Since these beads are reputed to be from the 1990s, they don't provide any indication of avventurina use much prior to that time.

JDA.

This is the only edited photo, so far. But, having purchased and received yet more Boshan beads, I plan to shoot close shots soon.

JDA.

JDA.

First, I devised the name "beach ball" for a class of pseudo-millefiori beads, made in Japan. Nevertheless I see your point in this context.

When I went to China in 1997, I was surprised to find that there was a class of hot-pinched overlay beads (dull red or brownish-over-yellow), that seemed to be imitations of Venetian overlay beads—though the Venetian beads are wound, and the Chinese beads are drawn. I had previously documented Boshan beads that on the surface seemed to be identical, but turned out to also be wound or drawn (though all acquired together). These were translucent red glass.

So it is clear the Boshan makers produced hot-pinched glass beads.

In the strand I just acquired, the single drawn bead present is the specimen you pointed-out. The base is white, with four superficial stripes, being: red, blue, yellow, and green. The red and blue stripes are wide and abutt each other. The yellow and green stripes are thin and flanked by the white base glass.

By the way, four years ago I bought a large striped hot-pinched Boshan bead, that I suppose was inspired by a German marble bead (though by comparison it is not well-made).

Regarding the striped beads you show, that have avventurina ribbons outlined in white, on a black base—these may resemble drawn hot-pinched beads, but, since Venetians made very few (if any) hot-pinched beads, these are not that. Rather, they are wound and ribbon-trailed—and each of the stripe units has been added to the bead; and the shape was eventually rounded by constriction (more at one end than the other), and compression. In these ways the beads resemble "late a-speo beads" (though a-speo beads are primarily drawn beads, manipulated to become rounded, or whatever shape is desired).

JDA.

OK, I get it.

Some of the beads I bought from Jane are being called "crumb beads, but the decoration includes incomplete fragments of patterned canes. I can see that "cane flakes" is descriptive of that. I bought these beads because I thought they were interesting. But they are so small, you can only appreciate this under magnification.

The pale pink spherical beads on the left side of your first photo appear to be Japanese. (I haven't viewed the other photos yet.)

JDA.

The second photo is the necklace I composed a few nights ago. The above blue beads are used as filler beads in the necklace. All of these are Boshan glass. Some I have had since 1987; though others were acquired recently from Jane and another seller.

JDA.

The Boshan beads were selected to echo the colors of the pendant.

JDA.

I like the "Squirrel & Grapes" theme on the canister on the left.
The piece on the right seems older, features 4 separate views of the Summer Palace and a cobbled-together finial resembling a mandarin hat button.

https://www.academia.edu/27514446/

I may present my thoughts online. But my goal is to produce a self-published monograph.

JDA

Thoughts?

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=4475341&iZz=4475341&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

Robert Liu's article: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54a8ea9ae4b0d1cd06f46bba/t/54e524efe4b0bc89fe275d35/1424303343507/Orn36_4_ChineseGlassBeads.pdf

And: http://gotheborg.com/glossary/glass.shtml

The newer beads have canes that have fewer spirals around the center. Nevertheless, these canes do spiral (!) and are different from the Venetian canes that inspired them, that have complete concentric stripe layers.

I showed the only "new" Chinese millefiori beads I am aware of, about 10 years ago, that I believe were not made by exploiting old stocks of canes.

JDA.

Pic shows two examples of the beads showing a single turn vs a bead with multiple turns.

Asking $211.07 USD.

- an unusual Boshan glass bead. I'm not sure of the date - either 1950s or earlier in the twentieth century, I guess. The bead is crackled internally, giving the impression of rock crystal, but the crackles don't extend to the surface, which is quite smooth. It's a very pretty effect which I haven't seen before.

the second "bead" is from one of the great early Neolithic jade-making cultures in China - the Liangzhu culture which flourished at the end of the third millennium BCE and the beginning of the second in the area around present-day Hangzhou. This is one of the mask-decorated pendants that are found in Liangzhu tombs. It is pierced vertically, for use as a pendant decoration probably with some ritual function.

Each of the great early jade-making cultures seems to have valued different qualities in jade. For instance, Hongshan peoples probably treasured green jades most of all, whereas the Qijia people from the northwest seem to have preferred jades with a high contrast between light and dark elements in the stone. In Liangzhu it was white opaque jade that was appreciated most. it was achieved by a deliberate burning process, but in such a controlled way that it didn't produce blackening of the stone.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Will

https://fi.pinterest.com/pin/231442868330641556/

I realize with some embarrassment that I did not refer to the bead (when posting the image) as one from Boshan, as Mr. Steinberg wrote that it was when he sent it!

The only image of a baby carrier with a large bead that I've turned up so far is this one of a Yao baby carrier found in nearby Guizhou province. No doubt I need to be more creative with search terms.

It has been fun looking as the textiles from many ethnic groups in Yunnan are so beautiful.

This is the post that goes with the below images (which are images of your beads):

beadiste 03/03/2015, 19:33:45

What I see is a difference in lampworking technique - on the older beads, the red/green/yellow trails are added as "frames" for the starburst murrine, often assuming a rather squarish overall outline, or circling the ends of oval beads. They seem to be conceived as squiggly lines of color.

Whereas on the newer beads, the accent trails often appear to be dotted dabs.

Another difference is glass texture - the older beads seem to be mostly smooth and opaque, even semi-tranlucent or milky in appearance.
No gassy, bubbly tomato red or transparent green glass, for example.
Bubble gum and toffee versus transparent lollipop sugar candies...

Joyce 02/04/2016, 21:58:13

…I've been more curious about the lovely 1930s Boshan (Chinese) millefiori beads in recent years. I was really rather dazzled to see these beads from the Summerfield collection displayed by Jamey Allen in the ballroom with the Ethnographic Group. What a splash of color! I will knot them simply on black cord. Approx. 12mm x 12mm.

"What I see is a difference in lampworking technique - on the older beads, the red/green/yellow trails are added as "frames" for the starburst murrine, often assuming a rather squarish overall outline, or circling the ends of oval beads. They seem to be conceived as squiggly lines of color.

Whereas on the newer beads, the accent trails often appear to be dotted dabs.

Another difference is glass texture - the older beads seem to be mostly smooth and opaque, even semi-tranlucent or milky in appearance.
No gassy, bubbly tomato red or transparent green glass, for example.
Bubble gum and toffee versus transparent lollipop sugar candies…"

After handling many beads which you are certain are old, and after experiencing beads which are certainly new, your intuition tells you.

Old beads often -but not always- have patina. And when they do, you have a clue which informs you.

Trying to make judgement calls when dating crafts is not easy. And trying to choose words to describe these differences is difficult for me. I cannot expect everyone to see what I see.

Will like for you to see mine at the next opportunity, Fred. I was warned by another collector who has handled these and remembers when H o H had them that the red glass is more fragile than the others, and sure enough, they are the ones with some small chips. And it is interesting that the decorative trails on my red ones are monotone rather than two or three colors. But the surface wear seems characteristic enough for me not to suspect that they are newer beads "slipped in" with the group. But as ever, I welcome as many critical eyes as possible.

I bought these other loose beads a while ago that came with a card from the original owner, in case this is informative.

Personally, I suspect these beads are from the 90's because of the flattened ends on some of them. Not all clues are confirmations. But they add up. For example, the eyes and squiggles are comparatively random. The bubbles in the odd pink glass are peculiar.

I have not concentrated on the Chinese starburst bead so much. And. I believe there are a few specialist dealers who will generously share information from their experience. Does anyone have access to them?

The one below came from Jimmy Swoape back in the 90's it is larger size than most, about 20 mm in diameter. He claimed to have had it since the 1970's if I recall correctly.

I am sending you a private message. Please look for it.

Thanks, Fred

I'm including a few images of early Boshan beads and their posts; some of these beads are yours.

This is the post that goes with the below images (which are images of your beads):

beadiste 03/03/2015, 19:33:45

What I see is a difference in lampworking technique - on the older beads, the red/green/yellow trails are added as "frames" for the starburst murrine, often assuming a rather squarish overall outline, or circling the ends of oval beads. They seem to be conceived as squiggly lines of color.

Whereas on the newer beads, the accent trails often appear to be dotted dabs.

Another difference is glass texture - the older beads seem to be mostly smooth and opaque, even semi-tranlucent or milky in appearance.
No gassy, bubbly tomato red or transparent green glass, for example.
Bubble gum and toffee versus transparent lollipop sugar candies...

Joyce 02/04/2016, 21:58:13

…I've been more curious about the lovely 1930s Boshan (Chinese) millefiori beads in recent years. I was really rather dazzled to see these beads from the Summerfield collection displayed by Jamey Allen in the ballroom with the Ethnographic Group. What a splash of color! I will knot them simply on black cord. Approx. 12mm x 12mm.