Beading History
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
The art of stringing beads together has been known to mankind since ancient times and has been practiced for many reasons including symbolizing religious beliefs. In the ancient world tribes would use the bones of animals and string them onto fibers and would wear them believing that they would protect the wearer from bad spirits.
As human civilization advanced beading progressed as a result of man learning how to pierce objects through drilling holes. Necklaces would be created from many objects that would include seashells, seed pods and nut shells as well as many other objects. Bead development would later progress by coloring the beads. Clay beads would often be coated in enamel
The Egyptians were masters of glass making and they would revolutionize bead making as glass beads were far more beautiful and could be used to make the most wonderful necklaces. They would use glass of many different colors and combine these colored glass beads with precious and semi-precious gemstones. Silver and gold would also be added.
Beads would become in great demand and would become a valuable trading commodity and were traded and exported all around the world, even as far back as ancient times. Beading would be embraced by many different cultures including the Babylonians, Chinese and also in ancient India.
The Romans also had a great influence on the development of beading and they would trade beads all over the different parts of the Roman Empire. This influence would spread to the Celts and the Vikings who would use beads to make wonderful bracelets, necklaces and amulets. Beading would also be embraced by the Native American Indians whose works are still used today in the latest fashions such as in turquoise colored watch bands, necklaces and belts.
Beading was and still is to this very day an important part of Native American culture. Many Indian tribes in the Americas would train their womenfolk at becoming adept in the beading arts. A technique called bead quilling was considered sacred. It was the art and workmanship of bead quilling itself that was considered sacred and not the finished beaded products themselves. That is rather different to the norm in Western societies where the finished product is what is valued most and not the workmanship that created it.
For more information and ideas about beads, beading and beads history please visit http://www.beadyeyez.com
