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First produced in Venice, Italy, in the late 15th century .... considered by many in Africa to be the most highly prized of all beads
... worn by chiefs, marabouts and wealthy village elders, many of whom were buried wearing their finery. In time, natural earth movements bring these beautiful beads to the surface, giving rise to the widely held
African legend that they grow from the soil.
Produced by fusing various numbers of layers of different coloured glass ... which were then
shaped and ground into many patterns ... they are one of the great favourites of bead collectors world-wide, early examples becoming scarce and more valuable as time goes by.
It is understood that descendants of
at least two of the original bead-making families have recommenced production in Venice using some of the original production methods.
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