• Old African Trade Bead Baule Face Venetian Glass Bead Black Fancy Lampwork Rare
  • Old African Trade Bead Baule Face Venetian Glass Bead Black Fancy Lampwork Rare - alternate view
  • Old African Trade Bead Baule Face Venetian Glass Bead Black Fancy Lampwork Rare - close-up
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Tribalgh

Rare Baule Face Venetian Lampwork Bead – Antique African Trade Glass

Rare Baule Face Venetian Lampwork Bead – Antique African Trade Glass

Rare Antique "Baule Face" Venetian Lampwork Glass Trade Bead

Discover a rare and striking example of antique African trade beads with this exquisite black Venetian wound glass bead, known as the "Baule Face" bead. Carefully handcrafted in Venice during the late 1800s to early 1900s, this lampwork glass bead features an intricate trail decoration, famously referenced in Picard Volume III, Front Cover, Strand 7.

This unique bead was part of the vibrant trade networks that connected Europe and Africa for centuries, where Venetian glassmakers created extraordinary beads specifically for export to West Africa. Highly collectible and historically significant, this rare piece exemplifies the fusion of Italian artistry and African cultural heritage.

  • Size: 16 mm x 14 mm x 13 mm
  • Condition: Excellent – minor decoration loss and a few small air bubbles

The "Baule Face" bead is a sought-after design, named after the Baule people of present-day Ivory Coast. These types of old Venetian glass beads were cherished for their symbolic meanings and were often traded for gold, textiles, or other valuable goods. Today, they remain an essential part of African heritage and bead collector culture.

About the Technique

This bead was made using the lampwork (wound glass) technique—a labor-intensive process where molten glass is skillfully wound around a metal rod and decorated with trails of contrasting colored glass. Produced in Venice, Italy—then the heart of the world's glassmaking—the artisans infused each bead with meticulous detail and artistic mastery.

These Venetian trade beads were shipped to West Africa, particularly Ghana and neighboring regions, where they played significant roles in ceremonies, adornment, and status. Today, they serve not only as decorative art but as powerful historical artifacts linking two continents in centuries of trade and cultural exchange.

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