| Original Message: Re: "Peking Glass" Beads |
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Hi Lyn, I have collected Chinese glass beads since 1970. As I have remarked many times, San Francisco (where I lived from 1970 to 1986) was (and still is to some degree) a remarkable repository of Chinese goods. One of the long-time bead collectors, who was a Founder (with me) of the Northern California Bead Society in 1977 was Mrs. Dorothy Gerrity, who was famous in Berkeley as a bead stringer and collector. Mrs. Gerrity passed away at close to the age of 85 in 1985. She used to tell interesting stories of being a young girl, walking up and down Grant Avenue in San Francisco (our Chinatown), where she was well-known to many of the shop-keepers of that time. Considering how varied and interesting were Chinese beads as late as the '70s, when I began to collect them, I can imagine how amazing all this was fifty years earlier. (And, of course, in the meantime I have spent quite a few years studying them.) In the early 1980s, Robert Liu (of The Bead Journal, and Ornament magazine), came and spoke to the NCBS on the topic of Chinese beads. He began by saying much what I have just said here—that the Bay Area was an amazing repository of Chinese beads and goods—going back to the gold-rush days, when there was a great influx of Chinese laborers, who worked on the railroad, searched for gold, ran laundries, and pursued lots of other occupations. Robert knew he didn't have to say a lot about the variety of Chinese beads—because, basically, we had them already. What I most vividly recall is the admonition that we NOT call the beads in-question "Peking glass." He assured us that this was essentially a misnomer that perpetuated a misunderstanding (that the beads "were made at," or "came from Peking"—or Beijing, as we say now). I usually agree with Robert's ideas and messages, as he is as careful and well-considered as am I. So, I desisted from calling any such beads "Peking," and switched to what he recommended—which is "Chinese glass beads." So, as I read through this thread, I tend to become a bit frustrated, that over twenty-five years later, people still say "Peking glass," as though this were a useful or informative name. Since practically none (if any) of the beads in question were made at Peking (but rather were just sold from nearby), it really would be impossible to define what might constitute a "Peking glass" bead, in contrast to any other Chinese glass bead. Of course, I could show you the beads we were offered in the 1970s, that were called this, and that formed or instigated the criteria that I used (until my conversion). However, the Big Picture of Chinese beads is much too complicated to be encompassed by a few generalizations. The original "Peking glass" beads were furnace wound, and made in colors that imitate desirable materials (crystal, rose quartz, carnelian, amber, jade, sapphire, amethyst, "plum jade," turquoise, etc). And—clearly—the beads were made in sizes and shapes that suggest their likely (intended) use in what are called "Mandarin Court strings" (though the vast majority of such beads were NOT so-used). But Chinese glass beads are so much more variable than this (and from several regions of China), quite a few significant and interesting beads would be segregated from inclusion. This would naturally exclude all lampwork beads, or in fact ANY beads not made by furnace-winding (so, excluding blown, drawn, and molded specimens—to mention some primary types). Lyn, what you were told seems to me to be a garbled message from someone who doesn't know much about beads, and knows even less well how to express that small knowledge. Because Chinese glass beads have become popular over the past 100 years, we should not be surprised that other glass industries would make similar products. Added to that (lordy, I have said this SO MANY TIMES..., "if you've seen one wound bead—you've seen them all"), the technique LENDS itself to making products that will naturally resemble the products of other manufacturers who make beads in the same manner. Over the past thirty-five years, I have documented beads that might be mistaken for Chinese glass beads from these origins: Europe, Japan, and Korea. The European beads include Czech and Venetian groups. The Czech groups were copied by the Japanese (because the Japanese LEARNED to make beads from Czech teachers). I suspect THIS, is the origin of the garbled information you were told. Just as Chinese beadmakers made beads to resemble desirable materials (particularly jade), the industries that copied the Chinese ALSO made jade simulants that look similar to the Chinese beads (and from glasses of other jewel-like colors as well). I can tell the difference between a Chinese and non-Chinese glass beads most of the time. I have a harder time distinguishing between Czech and Japanese beads (for the obvious reason I just stated). I do not believe there is a formal and sanctioned name that proclaims "Czech Peking glass." Someone heard a story, and formalized it in his/her head. This happens ALL THE TIME. We have seen it happen at this very Forum. All for now. Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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