Dear PK,

I recommend doing a search, and also just looking around here (and elsewhere on the Net—see the Links page). When you ask such general questions, many that may be common knowledge, you ask people to repeat information that is readily available, and that may have been repeated many times already.

I define "antique" as 100 years old or older; and "ancient" as 1000 years old or older. However, with glass, I make an exception. The fall of Damascus in 1400 marks the end of ancient glassmaking and glassworking, that was replaced by the modern glass of Venice, around that time.

Millefiori work is an ancient process, devised well over 2,000 years ago, that became significant in the Roman Period, also exploited by Islamic Period beadmakers, and eventually by Venetians (and other Europeans). Although some millefiori beads were made at Venice in the 15th century, the process was revived in the mid-19th C to great aclaim—and reached its height of production in the 1920s. The invention of chevron (rosetta) beads by Venetians in the mid-15th C. was very likely brought about because of their experiments in reproducing ancient millefiori work. (Refer to my 1982 and '83 articles on this topic.) The 19th C. literature (and anyone who copied it ignorantly), is FULL of suggestions and claims that chevron beads were made in antiquity. This is practicaly impossible (for the reasons I cite in my writings).

Too much is made over the issue of layer-numbers, and the supposed meaning of these numbers. The majority of early chevron beads have 7 layers. (Slate ones do also, and quite a few recent "revival" beads do as well.) Collectors would do much better to consider core colors, rather than layer numbers—of both in combination, to make generalizations that have much meaning.

Kiffa beads, also called "muracad," are modern beads. There is not evidence for their manufacture (that I can point to and accept) from before about 1920.

I hope this helps.

Jamey

Dear Jamey,
Thank you so much for giving me some ideas which are very helpful. As you know that I'm new here and do not have any knowledge about all these beads and I keep asking myself all the time when I go thru the old posts in this forum why all these beads are so popular. I've been reading every post here since day one when I join here but they are 65 , maybe 66 pages now and also some typical words which I don't understand make me slow too so I need sometimes to finish them. Your explanation how to make the etched carnelian and agate is also impressed me that's why I'm here..to ask you a lot of questions from now on and I hope you will put up with me. :-)
Another question about Chevron beads , when you said collectors would do much better to consider core colors . I don't understand how important of core colors. Could you explain more? I'm asking because I 'd like to acquire some of them in the future. I'd like to know if you want to buy this bead what your criterias are.
I know that you are specialist in etched carnelain and agate and chun dzi / dzi beads. I have one strand that I'd like to ask you. I'll put a new post and more questions....sorry...
I do appreciate your kindness to a new member like me and also other members in this forum as well. Thanks again.
Best regards,
Pk

Here are my Millefiori beads. Could anyone tell me the origin and age please? I bought it in Thiland very long time ago ( at least 10 years ago )
Thank you
Pk

Hi all,
I have another question please. Jamey , what I am going to ask you , I don't offend you or anything . I truly want to know about 2 kinds of beads ,Venetian Millefiori and Chevron beads. I just looked at the pic chart in The History Of Bead and they are demonstrated that Chevrons were produced first in 1490 and Millefiori around 1850. So I am confused. Could you please explain more ? or Do you have any antique Millefiori work to show me ? I 'd love to see the old Millefiori work. Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Pk

Hi all,
I just want to ask another question on antique Chevron beads from Indonesia where I can acquire this bead easier than other place. Are they from Venice ? or they are made in Indonesia . Anyone please.
Best regards,
Pk

Hi again,

There are two groups of beads from Indonesia. First, actual early Venetian chevron beads (typically, small, of seven layers, and faceted), are found—as they are also found all around the world. These do not differ from any other early chevron beads. Then, there is a group of imitation chevron beads, that are of wound manufacture, with trailed zigzag decorations, that resemble chevron beads. Their time and place of origin remain unknown—but these beads appear all around Island Southeast Asia, and particularly Indonesia. There are new copies of these beads, made at Java, that are rather realistic-looking. I bought a strand at Tucson a couple of years ago.

Jamey

Hi Jamey,

Thanks for this information. It's fascinating. I knew of course that early Venetian chevrons were occasionally found in Southeast Asia. But I didn't know about the early imitation chevron beads that appear to have been made there. Could you show, or direct me to, some examples, please? Is Java the most likely place for them to have been manufactured? Might it have been as a result of Dutch colonial influence, or Arab traders?

Will

Hi Will,

Since the origin of the imitation chevron beads is unknown, I would not be inclined to characterize them as "early." For all we know, they are 20th C. beads.

I was first exposed to the Indonesian chevron beads and imitations by a client who had me restring several necklaces in the early '80s. Also, at the offices of Robert Liu at Ornament magazine in 1983—when he had just acquired a group of old heirloom beads from a dealer named Andy Ng. Robert wrote about these beads for the magazine at that time. The single specimen of an Indonesian imitation chevron bead that I own was given to me by Robert, from that group.

Robert republished his thoughts on these beads in his book Collectible Beads. Below are two photos that I have lifted from pages 89 and 92.

On p. 89, on the lower left, you can see a heat-rounded star bead (Venetian), and two imitation chevron beads (copying faceted beads). Indonesian assemblages also include green versions of the chevron beads, but I have not seen green imitations.

On p. 92, we see a very nice assortment of heirloom beads, that includes the rare lukut sekala style; and in the interior a long strand of imitation chevron beads. This is instructive, since it shows that there was some variety of proportions, and slightly different looks to these beads.

Somewhere here (the photo archive) can be found images I have posted on this topic in the past. I'll see if I can spot them.

I hope this is helpful.

Jamey

Well, I have just gone through ten pages, out of twenty-three, of the Gallery Pages posted here. Mem-o-ries.... It's really quite fun to be reminded of all that stuff.

However, I didn't find the Borneo necklaces (I think) I posted a while back.

More later.

Jamey

OK. I went through all twenty-three Galleries..., but no Indonesian necklaces that I was expecting. I'll have to look for my scans, or make some new scans....

We'll see if I can do this before I have to depart for Arizona in three days.

Jamey

Dear PK,

I am in no way offended--and happy to answer any question for which I have an answer.

I am one of the few people who has studied the history of millefiori glass—particularly as it is concerned with Venetian beadmaking—with great depth. At the time The History of Beads was published, not a lot was known about the first reinvention of this work, at Venice—and only a few specimens were known. I have traveled to museums in several countries, to see their specimens of the early work, including Italy and Holland, and I've poured over a great deal of literature to find examples. In recent years, a number of specimens have surfaced from South America and West Africa. I went to an exhibit at the Corning Museum where several outstanding pieces were shown (but not beads).

Many people think that Venetians invented or developed millefiori-work in the 19th century, and don't know much about the original phase in the mid-1400s. I wrote papers on this in 1982 and 1983. (Paul Hollister, the famous paperweight expert was doing the same thing a year or so earlier—I eventually found out—and had ideas similar to mine.) Currently, the best work that discusses all this is Miniature Masterpieces (Miniature di Vetro) by Sarpellon. See the link below.

I expect that Lois Dubin did not have access to a photograph to demonstrate the early Venetian millefiori beads—and that's why none are shown. However, you must understand, MANY beads are not shown in The Bead Chart. Jim Lankton and I realized this in a very practical way when we developed the Bead Timeline in Washington DC, a few years ago. We had a great many beads with no association to Dubin's Bead Chart.

There are several kinds of early Venetian millefiori beads, though they all have cane elements that are starry, and resemble the canes made for star and chevron beads. Some have a thick clear layer of glass over the millefiori (and slightly resemble marble beads because of this), and many have the millefiori decoration up to the surface. Some include a variety of canes, and some few. Some have gold foil, but many do not.

Because this is fairly esoteric information, and I have been gathering it for over twenty years, I hesitate to show very many of these beads. (Until I am ready to publish.) But I have shown a few in the past, online, and I'll try to show a couple here.

The chevron bead—or at least rosetta work—was developed earlier than 1490. I can demonstrate a date as early as 1468, from the Archives at Murano.