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unsual bead from Africa Frit-Core
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Posted by: beads-de Post Reply
04/10/2023, 11:50:23

Hi,
i would like to share this image from an unsual bead from the African trade with you and appreciate all comments.
It looks like a frit-core bead. The condition is quite poor. Missing colours. Size 10 x 12mm.
Greetings from Germany, Christian

IMG_1561.jpg (24.7 KB)  IMG_1560.jpg (21.6 KB)  


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Please refer to my long reply, in which this bead is mentioned in-passing.
Re: unsual bead from Africa Frit-Core -- beads-de Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Beadman Post Reply
04/27/2023, 15:29:46



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Another "frit-core" mystery
Re: unsual bead from Africa Frit-Core -- beads-de Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Rosanna Post Reply
04/27/2023, 19:13:59

Hi Christian,
I posted this bead a number of years ago, and the only speculation was that it might be Venetian, probably due to the colors and design. The ends have been ground flat, so it's impossible to say what the original bead looked like. It is about 15.5 mm diameter.

But it appears to be built around a grey, ground glass paste (?) base. Is it possible that a Venetian or other European bead making center used this type of base at some point? Jamey's speculation that maybe the French used this technique is intriguing.

Jamey, you have the most info and interest in this subject. If you would like this bead for study please let me know and I'll send it to you.



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Drat, forgot to change the file extensions again
Re: Another "frit-core" mystery -- Rosanna Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Rosanna Post Reply
04/27/2023, 19:16:05

GroundGlassBase2.jpg (27.9 KB)  GroundGlassBase1.jpg (29.1 KB)  


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Rosanna, I would be delighted to have this bead for study purposes!
Re: Another "frit-core" mystery -- Rosanna Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Beadman Post Reply
04/27/2023, 22:28:11



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My Current Thought
Re: Rosanna, I would be delighted to have this bead for study purposes! -- Beadman Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Beadman Post Reply
05/02/2023, 12:46:42

Rosanna's bead is on its way to me now, though I have been thinking about it.

The exterior of the bead suggests conventional lampworking and trailing (based on the appearance of the decorations). Yet the center of the bead is granular and gray--suggesting the bead was built around a composition base. But this seems unlikely for an otherwise conventional glass bead.

What if it were actually the opposite?

From my trip to Nigeria in 1998, I know that there were "beadmakers" (actually bead-alterers) who would perform tasks, such as putting broken beads back-together using gray powderglass. This was not a subtle treatment. It was quite obvious. I bought a strand of these beads (that I still have, somewhere).

So now I an wondering whether the intent may have been to reduce the size of the perforation of a conventional glass bead, by introducing gray powderglass into the perforation channel (?). This, of course, need not have been done in Nigeria. Any competent bead-alterer could have done it. And we know that beads are altered in Ghana as well.

I will respond again once I have seen the bead.

JDA.



Modified by Beadman at Tue, May 02, 2023, 12:47:43

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Having seen and examined the bead, I think my explanation holds water.
Re: My Current Thought -- Beadman Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Beadman Post Reply
05/05/2023, 19:20:52



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