Hi Stefany,
You meant these kind of hollow porcelain beads? Chinese I suppose.
The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) seems to be a sign of luck in the Chinese community. From two he other beads, a dragon and some fruit?, I don’t know the symbolism.

Do you have any idea of age and origin?

I suppose they were made in a two piece gypsum mould with liquid casting porcelain clay. If enough clay has been deposited on the inside of the mold the liquid rest is poured out again, leaving a hollow inside, After some hours the leather hard clay is removed from the mould and the perforation can be made. When the beads are completely dry they get a first (biscuit) burn in the furnace. After firing the biscuit bead can be colored and get an overlay of transparent glaze and after drying again they get a second burn in the furnace.

Size of beads:

Crab right, diam 15 mm. perf 4 mm.
Crab left, diam 13 mm. perf 3 mm.

Fruit, diam 13 mm. perf 3,5 mm.
Dragon, diam 15 mm. perf 3 mm.

they are really specially interesting Hans!
I was thinking of the fairly recent chinese beads, not graduated, made into short necklaces in relatively recent years
if these images get through there is a whole bunch of the modern chinese ones loose, and an image of hollow porcelain beads which i feel are European perhaps contemporary with the sample card ones that Floor showed

made in Poland in a pottery factory a few years ago... they are also hollow...
each has a paper label with the logo of the company-
the beads appear to be "sponge printed"..

No, I have never seen them. Nice made!
What you call "sponge print" is in dutch mentioned as "tampon print".
The design is offset print on a very soft rubber cushion that's so flexible it can be pressed on odd objects.

Hans-
Your examples appear individually made and decorated with glaze by hand -
How small are they, and do you know if they were part of a set of animals representing months or years, or something unique?

Hi Stefany
I mentioned the size in a message following under my first reaction as "Size beads", but here they are again:

Size of beads:
Crab right, diam 15 mm. perf 4 mm.
Crab left, diam 13 mm. perf 3 mm.

Fruit, diam 13 mm. perf 3,5 mm.
Dragon, diam 15 mm. perf 3 mm.

I think they were not part of the Chinese zodiac, because the fruit and crab don't belong in there.
I rather think that drawings on the beads are good fortune signs.

stay healthy, Hans

I collected some antique and modern Chinese porcelain beads, in San Francisco, in the late 1970s and since then. However, a few years ago I acquired a substantial collection of them—that I immediately micro-photograped, taking two to four photos of each bead, around its circumference. I also discussed these beads with Valerie Hector, who is likewise interested in them, and who bought part of the collection.

I was hoping to create a pictorial for publication, but could not find anyone interested in them, without some sort of documentation that would also be informing. And, essentially, I only know they are Chinese—and I think I can determine which are older and which are recent. (I've bought some at eBay that I suppose are fairly new—but well within keeping for the type of beads they are.)

I would be delighted to show a group of these beads, if anyone is interested. I find them to be quite charming.

Jamey

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=get&cG=9373832393&zu=3937383239&v=2&gV=0&p=

An example from the "1923" beads on the sample card from Floor's thread?

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=get&cG=63331313535363&zu=36333131353534&v=2&gV=0&p=

dear everyone
these porcelain beads that are decorated with rosebuds etc. applied with coloured enamels almost like Dresden tea sets interest me - and i would love to acquire a few examples for my collection as i don't have any... so if you hear of anyone who can sell me a representative few beads, please message me- lockdown is such a good opportunity to further my.practical research..

Stefany, I, too, was struck by the similarity to German china.

The ends of the beads have lustre glaze applied over the black squiggles, similar to that on the china cup and plate.

though i had in mind the rosebuds like on teacups and saucers ...