Italy, Murano Island, ca. 1905 to 1915 CE. A pair of rare Murano Island trade millefiori glass bead cards, including prized Chevron Beads. In 2000, Dan Berke stated that the cards had been in his personal collection for 22 years, were valued at $12,000, the beads ranged from 1905 to 1915, each including 60 samples of various beads (color and size fully intact) and on one card alone, 20 of the beads were rare ‘Chevron Beads’. Protected in glass-fronted metal case. Size: cards measure 9.625" L x 7.625" W (24.4 cm x 19.4 cm); case 24.25" L x 18.25" H (61.6 cm x 46.4 cm)

According to the current owner David Lee, "Burke told Laura and I after we purchased the cards, that cards like these two are extremely rare (mostly in museums), and even more unique and rare to have cards with all the beads intact. He indicated it was difficult to let go of the cards, and asked if we would only purchase one card – our choice. But we wanted both cards to display together, which is why I purchased the metal case (also to protect the cards)." Indeed, Murano and Venetian glass bead trade cards are quite rare, usually found in the most esteemed museum collections such as the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Later correspondence about one of the two cards featured here to Mr. Lee from Mr. Berke states, "Bead sample cards such as this were used by salesman to sell beads produced by the crafts people of Murano Island. A sales route took several years to complete. When orders for a bead type shown on a sample card reached twenty or more kilos, they were produced and shipped to trading posts throughout the world. Many cards were produced, most of which have deteriorated or been scavenged for the beads displayed on them. Formerly owned by the Morreti family of Venice, Italy, this card was acquired through a third party after several years of negotiation. This particular card includes the highly regarded most sought after trade bead in history, the "Chevron". A multi-layered (usually six) bead when ground properly by a master bead maker produced a twelve pointed star pattern on the end of the bead. Many bead lovers consider bead sample cards to be the ultimate collectable." (correspondence from Daniel Berke to David Lee on May 15, 2000)

Further information about the very collectable Chevron Bead: The Chevron Bead was invented in approximately 1500 CE by Venetians. This bead has been created for almost 500 years in several hundred varieties. Though the Dutch manufactured similar speo star beads throughout the 17th century, they were made via a a different technique, as Dutch beads were not faceted or cut. The creation of Chevron beads involves a painstaking process described as follows in Lois Sherr Dubin's "The History of Beads from 110,000 B.C. to the Present, Revised and Expanded Edition": "Chevrons are a specialized cane or drawn glass bead. They are formed by forcing or blowing a single -or multiple- layered gather of glass into a tapered mold with corrugated sides, thus producing points on its outer surface. This pleated gather is subsequently encased with additional glass layers of various colors, which may again be molded to produce further outer layers with points. Finally, stripes may be applied to the surface. Still viscid, this multilayered, hollow gather is then quickly drawn into a cane (hence the terms "drawn" or "cane") of at least six feet, cooled, and finally sectioned into beads. These sections are often reheated or ground to produce a more finished product in various new shapes." (p. 117)

As far as the use of these beads is concerned: Salesmen would leave on ships from Marino, Italy area and spend weeks traveling through Africa visiting the chiefs of the various tribes showing the bead cards, allowing each chief to select which beads they wanted to use as currency in their tribal area and haggling/bartering on items and quantity of consumables to be traded for the beads. Items could have included animal furs, Ivory tusks, items made from various imported products (such as logs carved and converted to furniture, bowls, drums (with animal skin heads), weapons or other items, etc.). Once an order was negotiated, the bead salesmen would send their orders by a subsequent ship back to Italy for the specific glass beads to be made in desired quantities. Then a subsequent ship back to Africa would include the ordered beads to be delivered to the specific tribes.



Provenance: Ex-Private Georgia Collection, acquired from Daniel Berke in April, 2000; formerly owned by Moretti family of Venice, Italy

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#119693

Cards and beads are intact. Upper right corner of red mat on card labeled "1915" shows small loss. That card shows a tad more discoloration, but beads are fine.