Venetian millefiori beads are among the most famous glass beads ever produced. The name millefiori means "a thousand flowers" in Italian and refers to the colorful flower-like patterns visible on the surface of the bead. The patterns are created by fusing together bundles of colored glass rods (called murrine), stretching them into canes, and then slicing and incorporating them into beads.
The technique originated in the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly among Egyptian and Roman glassworkers. Venetian craftsmen on the island of Murano revived and refined the process during the Renaissance.
From the 1800s through the early 1900s, Venetian millefiori beads were manufactured in large quantities for export and trade throughout Africa, the Americas, and elsewhere. Many collectors today refer to them as "African trade beads" because so many entered Africa through trade networks.
Strung with modern quartz crystal and gold-filled beads. Length: 27"