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The history of beadmaking in Venice is thought to date back to the 13th century. In 1291 the glass beadmaking industry was moved to the island of Murano because of the fire risk posed by the process.
At this time Venice was a busy center for trade in Pearl, Ivory, Rock Crystal, Bone and Wood beads.Beadmakers discoverd how to create glass beads using various methods,including drawing glass into long rods that could be cut into beads.These beads are known as Chevron Beads.
Beads were also made by heating rods of glass and winding them around a glass wire but the best known Venetian bead is probably the Millefiori or Mosaic Bead created from thin slices of multilayed glass canes.These beads were traded in vast quantities from Europe to West Africa Ghana in particular .
Links to Venetian Bead Sites
http://www.artofvenice.com/art/venetian-glass.htm
http://www.trashcity.com/chevron.htm
http://www.great-glass.co.uk/glass%20notes/history.htm
http://www.glass.co.nz/lampwork.html
http://www.venetian-glass.info/history.php
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