chevron bead

Glassmaking was already an established and important industry in Venice when chevron beads began to be produced around 1500. Beads were being made there as early as the 13th century, many for rosaries and other religious purposes. However, the rediscovery of how to draw hollow canes, about 1490 or earlier, transformed the Venetian beadmaking industry. Earlier, beads had probably been formed by the simple winding technique. Drawing allowed for the creation of new types of beads, of which the chevron or rosetta was the most famous example. Chevrons are multilayered beads, with some layers molded to form the iconic starshaped design seen on the interior. After the hollow tube of layered glass was drawn, it was cut into individual bead sections and finished by hand-grinding or tumbling to reveal the star-shaped interior. The earliest chevron beads, made in the 16th century, usually have seven layers, six hand-ground facets on the ends, and 12-pointed stars. From the late 16th century, chevrons were produced with fewer layers (four and six layers became the standard types in the 19th century), and beadmakers experimented with more colors and shapes. This example exhibits the typical colors of the Venetian chevron bead: it has six layers of red, white, and blue. The ovoid shape became one of the most common forms, as it was ideally suited to display the interior star pattern. This type and many others were exported to Africa, where they were considered by many cultures to be the most powerful and most valuable beads. There, they were worn only by the highest-ranking members of society.