LIFE ON A STRING: 35 CENTURIES OF THE GLASS BEAD

An understanding of the history of glass would not be complete without acknowledging the importance of glass beads both as a products of early manufacture in the medium and as artistic representations of diverse cultures and societies. Glass beads have been found at the earliest glass manufacturing sites in the eastern Mediterranean, leading to the knowledge that making beads must have been among the earliest attempts at glass production. The great variations in design and manufacturing techniques over nearly 35 centuries allow glass beads to tell the stories of not only their makers, but of those who used beads for various purposes and in a variety of manners. Through a thematic arrangement, the exhibition Life on a String: 35 Centuries of the Glass Bead, on view from May 18, 2013, to January 5, 2014, explores the different uses of glass beads across time and around the world, as well as examining the chronological development and processes for the production of glass beads... https://www.cmog.org/article/life-string-35-centuries-glass-bead

https://www.cmog.org/set/life-string-35-centuries-glass-bead

Symbolizing power, enabling ornamentation, and facilitating trade, glass beads are miniature masterpieces that have played significant roles throughout time and across cultures. This major exhibition explored glass beads and beaded objects made by various cultures, representing 3,500 years of human history. Life on a String: 35 Centuries of the Glass Bead showcased, for the first time, many important works from the large historical glass bead collection of The Corning Museum of Glass as well as objects on loan from seven institutions... https://www.cmog.org/collection/exhibitions/life-string-35-centuries-glass-bead