Trade beads were used between the 16th and the beginning of the 20th century as jewellery and currency by the population of West Africa and other parts of the world. The beads were made throughout Europe although the Venetians dominated production. Millefiori (thousand flowers) beads from Venice, Italy, were highly popular and are commonly known as ‘African trade beads’. They were produced by creating flowers or stripes from glass canes which was stretched to thin glass wires that were then cut and moulded onto a glas core. African trade beads were a symbol of social status and the wealth of a person could be easily determined by the quality, quantity and style of jewellery worn. The beads in our collection were all acquired in Ghana at the end of the 20th century and date from around 1900 and earlier. On request we will send you more photos of a particular strand or bead. In case you require more information, please mention the four digit number of the item plus the bag (Bg) or box (Bx) number which are both mentioned on the first photo.