Beading Inspiration

I have been looking at other sites to get an idea of what I want to do with my blog and I have decided to make this one about beading. I will feature the history of beading, interesting information about beading trends and useful tips for all beaders. It is not my intention to feature a current project that I am working on or have just finished, unless it is something that is extraordinary.Having said that, I am featuring an article about the history of beading. I hope you find it interesting reading.

The art of beading has been around nearly as long as humans have been. From the moment an ancient human found a shell or stone with a natural perforation and strung it on a piece of vine to wear around their neck, beading has been popular in one form or another. Whether those objects were worn as a religious symbol, for personal adornment or to permeate them with special powers doesn't matter. Bead stringing is the first form of beading and it persists to today.

Thousands of years ago, ancient tribes of humans strung hollow animal bones on a fiber. It is believed that wearing the bones of the animal would either protect them from that animal or fill them with the animal's spirit, making them a less fragile human. When early humans developed the tools required to pierce another object, creating a hole, then many varied items were strung for many different purposes. Sea shells, seed pods, nut shells, fresh water mollusk shells, and even animal teeth and bones have been found by archaeologists with man-made perforations. Some people made actual beads of clay and others learned to add pigments to color the beads. As humans progressed, they began to enamel the clay beads.

About 3000 years ago, the Egyptians learned to make glass and the next logical step was creating glass beads. They elevated the art of beading to a high level that is still admired today for its beauty and elements of design. The Egyptians become skilled at adding pigments to the glass to craft very colorful beads. They combined these colored glass beads with precious and semi-precious gemstones and precious metals, such as gold and silver, to fashion jewelry pieces that were stunning. Beads became a much sought after commodity, so much so that they were used in commerce and exported throughout the ancient world.

Other cultures embraced the art of bead making. Most people think of China when they think of an abacus, or counting frame-a calculating device that utilizes beads that are slid on wires that have been strung on a wooden frame. The Babylonians were actually the first to use an abacus, although theirs was drawn in dust or sand and small pebbles were used instead of beads. The counter abacus with strings and beads can be credited to the Egyptians, or the Ancient Indian people, possibly. The Chinese played an important role in the evolution and development of the abacus.

Romans traded beads all across their empire, and even the ancient Celts and the Vikings were bead craftsmen who used beads to adorn themselves in the form of necklaces, amulets, and bracelets. Ancient Amerinds used beads as personal ornaments, in religious ceremonies and to decorate clothing articles. Native American bead art is popular in fashion, today and an important source of revenue for many people. Nearly everyone has seen turquoise beaded watch bands, or Native American necklaces and belts.

Beading was-and still is-a part of Native American Society. Many tribes had quilling societies that were sacred to the women. To join the society, a young girl had to be recruited and then she was tutored and carefully trained in the bead making arts. The process of making the quillwork was sacred, but the finished piece -- to be worn or used by someone -- was not considered sacred. The product was of secondary importance to the process of manufacture. The focus was on the thoughts and prayers and the work, not on the finished piece -- very different from Western society, which tends to value the finished product and ignores the process of creation.

There are contemporary beaders who report that beading is almost a spiritual experience for them as they embrace the art of creation as much as the finished work, the focus being on perfecting the art rather than a race to complete the final product.

What are Czech Beads

Glass making and glass bead making within the Czech Republic is dated back as far as the early bronze age, when the region was settled by Celts who possessed the skills of glass-making and enameling. Not only were the Celts involved in bead making and glass making, but so were the Monks in Benedictine monasteries. A glass mosaic titled “Day of Judgment” which embellishes the golden gate of St.Vitus's Cathedral in Prague is a testament to the skill of these medieval glass-makers.

Czech glass can be found in Corinthian excavations dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. During this time, the art of glass making ceased to the solely the milieu of Monks and it moved out into the forests where many cottage glass-works arose. Vast quantities of wood were needed to fuel the furnaces, so the densest forests became the centers for this early art form.

The forest glass-works created "forest glass" of a greenish color created by imperfect refining of raw the materials potash and quartz sand—the main ingredients in glass.

In 1588, Emperor Rudolf the 2nd invited Mr. Ottavio Miseroni, the first person to perfect the art of cutting and shaping diamonds, to Prague. Miseroni opened a workshop for cutting diamonds. With his diamond cutters, he discovered a way to decorate glass by using stone or copper wheels. Engraving was born. The most important craftsman in Prague to come from Miseroni's workshop was Caspar Lehmann, who became an Imperial Court engraver. Rudolf the 2nd became a generous sponsor and Prague became the center of this new glass craft. From Prague, the craft spread to all of Europe.

During the 1600s, the popularity of engraved glass continued to increase and by the end of the 17th Century, Czech glass achieved world wide recognition. Particularly fire-polished beads, have been produced in the area of the Czech Republic for over 200 years. This craft started as a cottage industry with the forest glass makers, but today the art of crafting Czech faceted beads is done in a factory.

They are such a huge part of Czech industry that the Soviet Union created a state agency called Jablonex to distribute the beads. The breakup of the USSR saw a resurgence of onesproduced in cottage industries. Today, there are many companies that export Czech facetted beads to over 80 countries. The small enterprises are greatly assisted by the fact that Jablonex is no longer taking on any new United States clients.

The most common shape for the Czech bead is round, although the fire polished beads are more oblong. They are available in other shapes, too: bicone, rondelle, roller, roundlet, pear and parachute. The fire polished ones come in a variety of colors. The richness of color is one of the earmarks of Czech beads.

Most people think all fire polished beads come from the Czech Republic. In the last ten years or so, India has begun producing them too. Fire polished beads are distinguishable by there soft rounded edges on the face.