The black oval beads are probably Czech, made from mechanically woven fiber tubes that are placed around a (wood?) core. The tube is like a round hollow braid made from many strands (of nylon?) woven together like basketry. Because of their structure, sections can be stretched over a base and used to cover it. Woven or basketry beads are a special category of fiber-decorated beads, that also includes tatted, knotless-netting, and similar embroidery techniques. I can see why Nishedha compares them to beads made with woven hair—the essence of mourning jewelry—but these are not that.

The other beads are Venetian lampwork trailed beads. And yes, you are correct—the beadmaker has made an attempt to create a bead that copies a millefiori bead; except here the technique is entirely via trailing. There are several examples of this happening among Venetian beads.

Jamey

Carlene

I have seen these beads and others similar for many years, so I recognize them. I have also seen a number of hair artifacts—though not usually individual beads. Necklaces, lanyards, or fobs usually have places where the knotting expands, and looks like a chain of beads, but the work is actually continuous.

Human hair items were either mourning articles, or they were made by women for their husbands or betrothed. The work is predictable, following a conventional set of variations, but there is also considerable individuality in how the parts (techniques—what we would call "stitches" in embroidery) are put together. The most common color for hair items is brown—because among English people brown is the most common hair color. Blond and black hair is much less common (in my experience—but let's remember, I have not examined hundreds of examples in my career, but I have seen dozens).

How to tell hair from nylon is a lot like distinguishing between amber and plastic, or coral and glass. Hair is a natural product, whereas nylon is synthetic. Hair, being a mammalian growth, has a structure. It's shape, length, diameter, and variation—and whether straight or curly. (Not all hairs from a head are the same length, diameter, or color; and there is usually some semblance of structure—the cuticle of the shaft, that gives it knap. In contrast, nylon fibers are extruded, are usually unnaturally shiny, and have no knap. It is not unusual for nylon to be dyed dead-black. Human hair—even the hair of Chinese, Polynesians, and American Indians is not truly black. It is very dark brown. (I've been told that only a small group of Russians have truly black hair. I don't know if this is accurate or not.)

So one tells the difference by considering the art—whether the item is hand woven or knotted, and by how the fiber appears.

Cheers, Jamey

I believe that this type of beads over a wood base are made for many uses in "Passementerie" or trimmings for soft furnishings, lampshades, curtain tie-backs and the like, and are more often found among haberdashery items than jewellery components. They may be 1940'-50's? or earlier?

Stefany

i agree with your thoughts about the black woven beads. i have had them a long time and got them from an estate sale so i am guessin mid-1900s as well. i think they could be silk but since i have so few i have not wanted to subject to any "tests". they are about 6 x 10mm with a 3mm hole. they are really quite fine and somewhat of a marvel to look at and hold.

thanks for the info,

Carlene

Carlene