The History of Beads

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The amazing thing about beads is that they have been around since 100,000 BC, and they appear in every culture in the world. Despite the diversity of techniques and taste differences, the bead endures to connect and unify us all.

That is the main point Lois Sherr Dubin wanted us to get from her lecture Friday night at the Dallas Museum of Art. She said it a bit more eloquently, but I did manage to capture many of the words she used in my 5 pages of notes and sketches.

From wampum, to the appearance of eye beads, to the highly coveted Millefiori beads, Ms. Dubin took us on a fast-paced journey through time. The slides showed us the remarkable amount of detail the early bead artists packed into such a small space, with such primitive techniques! She told us some of the stone beads were crafted using the same techniques used to make weapons. So a man could make new arrows and gifts for his wife at the same time.

Then, she started talking about contemporary artists such as David Chatt, Leah Fairbanks and Valerie Hector, whose work I am familiar with and admire.

I have the concise edition of her book, but the new revised and expanded edition is now available, and has taken the top spot on my wishlist.

Thanks to my friend Marilou for organizing us Dallas area beaders to see this together! We also saw the Thaw Collection of Native American beadwork, and I gleaned some separate insight and inspirations from that which I will write about next time.

It’s cool to think that as beaders, we are a part of something so much greater than ourselves, and that our roots are ancient. I’m glad we took some time to learn about and appreciate that part of our beading heritage. Is my nerdy, history major side is showing?