19th C. African Italian Glass Trade Bead Necklaces (4)

About Auction

Live

All That Glitters | Ancient & Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 9, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-12-09 12:00:00 2021-12-09 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : All That Glitters | Ancient & Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/all-that-glitters-ancient-ethnographic-8000
Join us for a very special holiday auction featuring jewelry, glass, icons, coins, and so much more. Think silver, gold, and all things shiny. Perfect for holiday gift giving or for self-gifting. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (168)

• Lot Description
  Europe, Italy, possibly Venice; West Africa, possibly Nigeria or Mali, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. A dazzling ensemble of glass beads strung on 4 modern strands to be wearable as necklaces. The first 2 necklaces are each comprised of dozens of spherical beads, all boasting brilliant and translucent hues of cobalt. The next necklace features 14 elongated cuboid millefiori beads of navy with target-motif designs of white, yellow, and red, as well as dozens of white barrel and blue discoid glass beads. At the center of this necklace is a large, ultramarine, egg-shaped bead flanked by a pair of African biconical brass beads, while an additional African brass bead of barrel form lies at the opposite side. Last, the longest necklace displays 39 huge, tubular glass beads in a style known as chevron with vertical stripes in deep shades of blue on the exterior and red and white on the peripheries and interior. Size (longest necklace): 17.5" L (44.4 cm); (largest bead): 1.1" L x 0.8" W (2.8 cm x 2 cm)
  
  These blue cylindrical and rectangular beads are of the millefiori style. To make millefiori beads, artisans produced glass canes or rods, called murrine, by layering different-colored glass around a core. At this stage, their multicolored patterns were only visible from the cut ends of the cane. The rods were heated in a furnace, stretched - thus revealing the patterns throughout - and then cut into beads. Trade beads played a major role in the age of European exploration and colonization, serving as currency on multiple continents.
  
  Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #168474

  Condition

  All beads are of the period stated and strung on modern strands to be wearable. Repairs to blue egg-shaped bead with break lines visible. Losses to 4 chevron beads. Almost all beads have nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age and wear. Otherwise, all are very nice and wearable.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 26.50 %