Product Description: This is a strand of Millefiori beads.

• Origin: Venice
• Length: 96cm
• Main Bead Size: 10mm x 14mm
• Note: As this is an antique item, it may have scratches, cracks, or chips.

About Millefiori:

Era: Late 1800s to early 1900s

Origin: Venice

Technique: Mosaic application or mosaic inlay

Millefiori, which means "a thousand flowers" in Italian, is known as Cha Cha So in Africa. Following the collapse of exclusive trade with the East and the rise of Bohemian glass dominating the European market, Venice sought to counter this economic impact by creating a variety of decorative glass items. Millefiori glass is one such example. Merchants, who were already engaged in bead trading with Africa, crafted cylindrical glass beads from Millefiori glass and transported them to Africa as trade beads.