| Original Message: Re: Venetian Overlay Beads |
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Hi Carole, The name "white-heart," and the names "pink-heart" and "green-heart" spawned by it, are applied to DRAWN glass beads. A wound bead of similar construction is an "overlay" bead. (The drawn beads can also be called "overlay" beads, and all of these can be called "layered glass beads.") As far as I know, I am the only bead researcher who has voiced an opinion on the dating of overlay/layered beads—based on research I conducted in the early '90s (presented in public for the first time in 1992 at Bead Expo). It is my conclusion that the time white-heart beads were devised may have been at around 1825. My survey of archaeological literature revealed that the earliest time these beads appear in the North American horizon was at 1830. I made their invention "1825" to give some time for the beads to be acquired and lost. Of course, these dates are VERY provisional, and subject to change as new information arises. I also used these dates in my 1995 presentation for the International Bead Conference in Washington, DC to substantiate that some presumed "ancient" powderglass beads (often called "bodom") were made in the mid-19th C., because they include typical white-heart beads as parts of their decoration. So these "bodom" beads cannot be older than the parts used to make them. (I also presented other evidence for why certain old powderglass beads must be from even later in time, in the 20th C.) When I launched into this question, in the late 1980s, I consulted with Karlis Karklins, the eminent Canadian archaeologist and pioneer bead researcher (and friend), and asked if he had any idea when Venetian red-on-white drawn beads were devised. He said he didn't have a clear picture of when that was at all. Consequently, I thought this was an interesting and needed project. That anyone would come along, now, and serialize overlay beads, putting them into decades of production, is ridiculous. Bead sellers just make-up this stuff. I do not believe there is any empirical evidence that pink-heart beads preceded white-heart beads—let alone that their production time is 1825 to 1836. But, in any event, the larger wound beads are not "hearted" anyway! Likewise, the name "cornaline d'Aleppo" should be limited to drawn layered beads, that consist of translucent glass over a white (or at least pale) opaque base. Wound overlay beads are not "cornaline d'Aleppo" beads. Green-heart beads (opaque brick-red glass over a translucent green, or more rarely blue, base) are likewise NOT "cornaline d'Aleppo" beads. On Venetian sample cards, the names "cornaline" and "Aleppo" are limited to DRAWN beads, with translucent red (or reddish), orange, or yellow exteriors. What these wound and drawn beads have in common is the use of the same glasses for their production. Prior to the time these beads were devised, Venice did not have a translucent red glass that was routinely used in bead production.* For the previous (approximately) 400 years, they relied upon opaque brick-red glass for the color red. However, previous to this time, the Czechs had devised a reliable formula for making translucent red glass, and had been using it to make imitations of the garnet beads for which Bohemia was famous. That red (sometimes called "cranberry") glass remains a staple in their productions. It seems very likely that Venetians "borrowed" this formula to make the red glass used in overlay beads—and since then in MANY other beads as well. However, in making different types of beads, the sharing of colors of glass is not a good reason to share NAMES. (* At Venice, the art of making a bright red glass using gold as a colorant, and that resulted in a glass that could be made opaque or translucent, goes back at least to the 17th C. However, this glass was not routinely used in beadmaking. It is not my intent to say that Venetians "never" made translucent red glass, or opaque bright red glass prior to late 19th and early 20th C innovations in chemistry.) It is very annoying to have one's research appropriated and garbled by some guy at eBay (or whomever). Nevertheless, it happens all the time..... Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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