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AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE 19th C. VENETIAN MILLEFIORI MOSAIC “AUREA” GLASS TRADE BEADS – 14PC SET
A beautiful and genuinely antique 14-piece grouping of Venetian mosaic glass trade beads, featuring a distinctive “Aurea” style cane construction with colorful layered mosaic designs and star/rosetta-style core elements.
These are wonderfully unusual beads and have a very different visual and structural character from the more commonly encountered Venetian Millefiori beads made by applying flat mosaic canes around a central glass core. The construction visible in these examples features a star/rosetta-type core with multiple layers of colorful glass cane, creating the striking concentric “eye” patterns seen throughout the beads.
DETAILS
- 14 authentic antique Venetian glass beads
- Dating to the 19th century
- Venetian/Murano glass trade bead construction
- Distinctive Aurea-style mosaic cane appearance
- Star/rosetta-style core construction
- Beautiful layered “eye” patterning
- Blue centers surrounded by mustard yellow, red, white, turquoise-blue and navy blue glass
- 6 of the 14 beads feature distinctive diagonal cuts, adding to their individual handmade character
- Handmade glass construction with natural variations throughout
- Very few chips or areas of damage considering their age
- Please examine all photographs carefully for individual condition and details
The beads display the wonderful characteristics one hopes to find in genuine antique trade glass: slight variations in shape and size, subtle surface wear, micro-pitting, tiny flakes and other small imperfections within the outer mosaic glass. These are not modern reproductions made to look old — they show the natural surface characteristics and age expected from antique glass that has been handled and circulated for generations.
DISCOVERED IN A MULTICULTURAL VINTAGE ESTATE COLLECTION OF GLOBAL BEADS
This 14-piece grouping was discovered tucked within a larger multicultural vintage estate bead collection and is being offered in 100% untouched, uncleaned condition. No polishing, buffing or restoration has been performed.
The beads are being offered as found, preserving their existing surface character, age-related wear and natural patina.
Their history is part of their beauty. Venetian glass trade beads such as these were produced for international trade and became part of longstanding trade networks, including circulation throughout West Africa. The small surface imperfections visible in the photographs are part of the story of antique glass rather than something I have attempted to disguise or remove.
PLEASE STUDY ALL PHOTOGRAPHS CAREFULLY.
The photographs are an important part of the description and show the individual beads, coloration, construction, surface characteristics and any visible chips or flakes.
A truly special little grouping for the antique trade-bead collector, Venetian/Murano glass enthusiast, bead historian, jewelry artist, or collector of African trade beads and global material culture.
Fourteen individual pieces of antique Venetian glass, each carrying its own variations, wear and character from more than a century of history.
