Translucent Russian blue beads, #1

Description

2 extra long strands (39-40 inches or 102 cm.) of translucent ¨Russian Blue¨ glass beads.
1 string contains mostly tiny beads, 4-5 mm.diameter x 3-5 mm.from hole to hole.
The 2nd string contains tube beads in the size 5 mm.diameter x 10-12 mm.from hole to hole.
Vintage supply, made in Czech and traded to Africa in the 1800s.

We use the term trade beads to refer to the European made glass beads that were used by the European merchants and explorers in the trade in Africa as from the 15th century and continued during their colonial expansion.
The history of trade beads in Africa takes us then to the 15th century and the arrival of the European, mainly the Portuguese, to the coasts of West Africa. The European discovered quite soon how much the people they met there fancied beads and saw they an opportunity for trade. Among the beads that captivated the African people most were glass beads since the techniques for their making had not yet been developed locally. The locals fell for the precious and colorful glass beads such as Venetian millefiori or chevron beads that the European traders had on offer and bartered them for commodities such as precious woods, ivory, gold and even used, ignominiously, in the slave trade.