Product Description: This strand of Roman Eye Beads hails from the ancient Roman era, originating in Alexandria (modern-day Egypt). These beads are a valuable piece of history, adorned with designs that resemble eyes, believed to have protective qualities.

Specifications:

• Origin: Alexandria (modern-day Egypt)
• Length: 85cm
• Size of Central Bead: 17mm x 12mm
• Note: As an antique item, there may be scratches, cracks, or chips.

About Roman Eye Beads:

Era: 100 BCE to 300 CE

Origin: Alexandria (modern-day Egypt)

Technique: Core-wound application (glass is melted and wound around a metal rod coated with a release agent, with additional glass colors applied in a polka dot pattern).

Roman glass, including beads created during the ancient Roman and Sasanian Persian periods, is renowned for its craftsmanship. Ancient Roman merchants, who were active in glass trade, created various bead designs to cater to their customers' preferences. Among these, beads featuring eye-like patterns are known as Eye Beads. These beads were believed to possess protective powers and are replicas of ancient Phoenician beads, which predate the Roman era by several centuries.

It's fascinating to note that ancient Romans admired and recreated these much older Phoenician beads, illustrating that the history of beads is deeply intertwined with human history.