Hi Stef,
It is always better to actually attach an image to your posts, because it will remain there (assuming no internal site misfortune happens). However, if you link to an image on your device, it can only be seen here for as long as that image is in the same place. If you move it (to another location in your device, or off of your device) it will no longer be visible here.
So, having downloaded your photo—it is attached here.
Jamey
A beauty in Umbria: Deruta Majolica Beads and ButtonsBy Giulia Manfredini On 10 June 2014 In Designs, Deruta By GPA
The Fuseruola, an antique Umbrian token of love in majolica from Deruta.
You find in this section several beads, buttons and thimbles, handmade and handpainted in Deruta for our Company, matching with our Deruta serie of designs, “Deruta by GPA” inspired by old majolica/pottery designs of Deruta art.
The Fuseruola is a little sphere used to balance the spindle when spinning.
Known from Etruscan and Roman times, between the 14th and 17th centuries, it was glazed and then decorated in coloured “scales”.
Its central area or band was then stamped with delicate well-wishing or virtuous designs, or the name of a girl, to whom the distaff and the spindle, equipped with its fuseruola, were presented as a pledge of love.
The town of Corciano, near Deruta, with the patronage of the Region of Umbria, held a competition to find the “Typical Umbrian Souvenir” which was won by “Le Antiche Fuseruole”, S. Angelo di Celle, Deruta, Italy. We advise you to pay a visit to Corciano and Deruta……… You’ll be enchanted….
A big thank to Mrs. Anna Lisa Piccioni, President of “Le Antiche Fuseruole” and “Academy of Deruta Work” who has created for us beautiful beads, buttons and sewing accessories enabling us to design our models in tune with the antique Deruta designs.
Each maiolica/pottery button and bead are unique since they are handmade and painted only for Giulia Punti Antichi.
For this reason your “Deruta embroidery” is going to be a unique piece of art.
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE THESE MAJOLICA SEWING ACCESSORIES.
WE WILL GIVE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT IT. https://www.puntiantichi.com/deruta-majolica-beads-and-buttons-the-fuseruola-an-antique-umbrian-token-of-love-in-majolica-from-deruta/
I believe these are recently produced copies that are currently available.
I believe the proper name for the beads you call "motto beads" is "Fuseruola". That is the keyword you are looking for.
The Fuseruola is a small ceramic object with a spherical shape and a small hole in the middle.
It has a very ancient origin; it has been found in tombs and remains of prehistoric dwellings dating from the Neolithic.
Scholars believe that they were used in textile art to balance the spindle during yarn making, keeping the thread tighter to achieve a more uniform result.
In our territory, the rich tradition of Deruta’s ceramics has embellished these small objects with painting.
They become therefore beautiful miniatures to be gifted as a pledge of love.
The fuseruole, in fact, were gifted to the bride along with the spindle. That’s why we find names or loving words alluding to virtues and qualities of the loved person.
Traditionally, these ceramic pearls, being part of the bridal set, were applied to embellish cushions, curtains, and table runners.
Respecting this ancient tradition, today we use them as precious stone of our handmade jewelry. https://annabarola.it/en/the-fuseruola-history-and-use-in-the-production-of-hand-made-jewellery/
Process
In our laboratory, in the green heart of Italy, everything begins modeling clay, a magical material for its chemistry.
The clay, in fact, is a soil you can model if contains water, but becomes solid and rigid as soon as water evaporates.
When we hold it in our hands to create the base of our creations, the clay is moist.
It has the perfect consistency to be shaped, since we keep it in a plastic coating to preserve its humidity. Therefore, we create our spheres patiently, ensuring that they are smooth and without cracks.
Then we wait for the water to completely evaporate before passing to the next stage.
The evaporation phase is really important because avoids splits and cracks that would happen during the first burning if the clay is still wet.
The clay becomes terra cotta after the first firing, carried out in a professional oven at very high temperatures.
It is necessary to wait almost a day to open the oven and extract our cooked spheres, which are called technically “biscuits”, because of their typical reddish color.
It is during this phase that the terracotta assumes its consistency, becoming solid and waterproof. Before switching to painting, the terracotta is glazed with a lead-free varnish. The enameling purpose is to waterproof the porous spheres and facilitate their decoration.
After this, my favorite stage begins, the painting, during which I give free rein to my imagination.
Differently from the classic technique of Deruta ceramics, dusting is not applicable in our pearls, because of the small dimensions.
Each pearl is hand-painted with no guide and therefore they are all different. Painting on ceramics is a complex and extremely involving operation, especially considering that our spheres are very small and have a rounded surface. It is at this stage that the fuseruola acquires its face, and it is at this moment that the idea of the jewel arose. Following the coloring, the final touch is the application of a vitreous mix, composed by silicates and water, called crystalline.
This is a fundamental step that gives brilliance and resistance to our pearls.
Now the spheres can be fired a second time, becoming unique ceramic beads, properly named as “fuseruole”.
During the second firing the crystalline, blends with colors becoming transparent and the colors themselves change their initial appearance.
The fuseruole acquire their distinctive brilliance with an explosion of colors typical of Deruta ceramics.
It is a long and laborious process for which patience and passion are the main elements to obtain a result that we believe is surprising.
So, a centuries-old tradition made of earth, water, fire, colors and artist hands adapts to nowadays world, creating unique handmade jewels.
https://annabarola.it/en/the-fuseruola-history-and-use-in-the-production-of-hand-made-jewellery/
These particular studio's Fuseruole are made with modern designs sans mottoes. This particular line of designs is called Vibes, they have several others.
https://annabarola.it/en/vibes/yes thank you for your many contributions concerning these...i am aware of the name but i am not convinced that these beads were ever intended or useful as spindle whorls, a story attached to an example in the V&A or British museum in London, unfortunately. i hope you get a chance to see the BSGB journal article!
So, in-short:
These motto beads are Italian, and have Italian/Latin phrases. They were inspired by spindle whorls, for which there is a long and varied history worldwide. They are ceramic beads in the style of majolica (however you like to spell that name). Over time, in addition to serving as spindle whorls, they were also used for various other decorative functions—particularly as sewing sets.. Many of us will associate them with table cloths—where they were used as corner-weights—and so have come in sets of four beads.
Making these beads is an ongoing industry, and there are currently new versions/varieties available, that diverge from the traditional beads.
JDA.
I have one that I received from an Italian friend in the '60s. I would like to sell it but don't know how to price it. Would appreciate getting an idea of current value
Thank you
Paula E
