Ancient Glass Beads
The glass bead industry began as early as 1500 BC in both Egypt and Mesopotamia. The predecessor to early glass is faience, which dates back to as early as 4000 BC. The mastery of the techniques of glass bead making can be seen in the range of color and intricacy of design of individual beads. Our collection includes beads from the early Roman Era(first millennium BC to 476 AD), as well as glass beads from the period of Islamic dominance(600 AD to 1400AD). Glass bead production allowed the craftsmen to try and reproduce, and elaborate upon, the natural beauty of stone.
