Migrant Beads

 

Bead Migration

Often small and decorative, they are made of materials such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood and pearls. Many have small holes for threading or stringing. 

Curators at the Museum of International Folk Art call glass beads "the ultimate migrants."  This is because where they start out is often far away from where they end up.

In short, they can travel around the world, lending themselves to regional interpretation (and use) as jewelry or embellishments on clothing. 

In some cultures they are also highly prized as 'money'. For example, many Native California tribes traded and bartered with clam or abalone shell beads.

Beadwork Adorns the World is a special exhibit at the folkart museum.

The focus of this collection addresses the question of what happens to the beads when they do arrive at their final destination- Africa, Borneo, Burma, Mexico, etc.

What do people do with these special items? How do they make them into fashion as well as status statements?  It's interesting to note that the results often reveal important information about the cultural values of both makers and users. 

Want to know more about this museum? Click here.