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Original Message:   Very likely American lampwork from 30 years ago
I believe these beads are modern American lampwork that could reasonably be 30 years old -- but are too generic to be precisely attributed. Dozens, if not hundreds of beadmakers could have made them.

In 1997, in Making Glass Beads (pg.72-3) Cindy Jenkins describes (and demonstrates) the decoration as “floral plunge” developed by Patricia Sage (Holland). True or not, the design was based on common techniques, widely taught and used by many intermediate lampworkers starting in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The rounded cylinder shape was also a favorite in US/European classes.

I don’t think there’s much likelihood that Japan or China were sources for these beads. Japanese work is much more refined. The Chinese mass-produced versions are much more recent and likely “inspired” by American bead artists at bead shows starting in the late 1980s.

Sadly, Chinese were notorious for buying “samples” from the artists which were then copied and exported worldwide.

For more details, I’d recommend queries to folks who have been active in the American lampwork bead movement and teaching for the last three decades: people like Sage and Tom Holland, Jim Kervin, Sharon Peters, Leah Fairbanks or the International Society of Glass Beadmakers.

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