Bead History – Why Is It Important To Know?Knowing bead history may or may not be important, it depends upon what your interest in beads is. If you are interested in just purchasing beaded jewelry you may not care one way or the other about the history of beads. On the other hand if you are a bead jewelry designer or bead jewelry maker, knowing this history may make the difference between being a mediocre bead jewelry maker or designer and being an innovative one, and as a result, if you are making beaded jewelry for the marketplace, a lucrative one.
On the other hand you may only want to know about the history of beads, for the love of bead history for its own sake. Whatever the reason, I’m happy to provide some information about that history.
I know why I’m interesting in the history of beads, because it has the potential to motivate me to be a better designer and maker of beaded jewelry, able to connect with my own designs, with the ability to see what an individual that may wear or see one of my designs may or may not like about the design.
Beads are thought to be the first durable items of ornamentation that humans wore. How do we know this, because across the globe, beads have been found in ancient graves, buried with the wearer. The very fact that beads are found in the graves of humans from previous centuries, and are still recognizable as such, is a testimony to their durability. Long after human remains have decayed to dust, beads have been found in the graves of the wearer, pretty much intact, which can help archaeologists to unravel the culture of the people who wore them.
Beads had significance to their wearers, and thus tell historians something about the culture of their owner. Beads are not only durable, but collectable, portable, valuable within the culture, available in a large variety of shapes and colors, and very pleasing to look at, and they were not just pretty baubles worn for decoration. Beads worn merely for the sake of decoration is a modern idea, beads were much more to ancient peoples, even though some of the most stunning jewelry ever created has been unearthed in ancient graves, beads were not just wearable art.
Knowing the history of beads is important, because even today, beads are everywhere and the question is why? So let’s examine the history of beads in the cultures of:
Europe
There is a marvelous book that is considered the definitive authority on the history of beads, which was a great source of information. The book is The History of Beads by Lois Sherr Dubin.
For some interesting articles on bead history click here on the link to beadbugle.com
For bead jewelry designs on etsy.com click here on the link to joyfulpearl2010 Types of Beads Home Page
|
