JAPAN, INDIA, HIMALAYAN COUNTRIES, THAILAND, PHILIPPINES, & INDONESIA |
|
JAPANESE LAMPWORKED GLASS BEADS depicting stylized fruits and vegetables in enticing colors and shapes. Some of the beads utilize crumb and glass powder for decoration. These fairly rare beads probably date from the 1950s, 1.2 to 1.9 cm long. Courtesy of Ornamental Resources. |
COMBED EAST JAVA BEADS, right specimen is one of the rare ones that have not been sanded, like the adjacent one (2.75-2.8 cm high). Jatim beads came on the market in the middle 1980s. They were selling for $15 to $35 each for the more common types; monochrome ones were much cheaper. The highest asking prices were $1,200 to $1,600 each, but those beads actually sold for $600 to $800 each (J. Allen, pers. comm. 1994). Not all monochrome beads from Indonesia are considered Jatim, as there are large Indo-Pacific beads, as well as later Chinese ones. Courtesy of Cynthia Boeck and Richard Stamm. |
MAGNIFICENT PIERCED AND ENGRAVED GOLD OJIME with a crab that has been possibly raised or repouséed from the inner surface. Only 2.8 cm high, it demonstrates the superb skills of the Japanese ojime makers. The small scale does not diminish the aesthetic value. The perforation is sleeved to protect the hanging cords from abrasion. Courtesy of Fred Chavez. | |
ANTIQUE INDIAN BEADS of gold washed silver, demonstrating the long tradition of that country’s metalsmiths. Well crafted old beads like this are rare; largest is 5.3 cm high, 176 grams. Courtesy of Art Expo. | |
MOND MULTISTRAND NECKLACE of glass and brass beads; latter is 2.5 cm diameter and entire necklace is about 120 cm long, $150 in 1990. The lush colors, striking contrast of the glass and metal and dramatic volume of the multiple strands typify the best of Indian tribal designs: the simplicity is timeless. The massed effect of beads is also evident in Naga multistrand monochrome necklaces. Courtesy of Art Expo. |
|
Our upcoming issue 37.4 contains
Nubian Jewelry
Kate Mensah
Philadelphia Craft Show
Some of Our Popular Articles