Strand of Black Lampwork Venetian Trade Beads for the West African Market

This strand of 42 well-matched Venetian beads has traditional African twine stringing suggesting that the beads were exported to the various tribal groups of West Africa, which was an important export market for the glass bead makers of Murano island in the Venetian Lagoon, and collected and strung there.

The strand includes some relatively rare beads. It has at its centre, a large Dutch oval black glass bead that dates to the 1700s. These beads are much favoured in other parts of Africa, most notably in Morocco.

Also included is a black lamp bead with spiral motifs (see Panini, 2007, p. 275) sometimes referred to as zen beads; there are black lamp beads with aventurine inclusions (see Panini, 2007, p. 265) which date to 19th century Venice; other beads are decorated with flower-type motifs; and others are black lamp beads with ridges which are unusual. Some of the beads are likely to have come from the glassworks established by Giovanni Battista Franchini (1804-1873).

The strand is in fine condition. There are minor losses to some of the beads here and there but they are in fine condition for their type.