Featured Thai Glass Beads

Hi. I found these beads in 1990 in a small town market in Thailand and always liked the color and the way they felt. Never saw any others like them. They are glass. Some are smooth. Others have the blue irregular dots in relief above the surface of the bead. The holes are irregular also. Kitten provided for scale... Any bead experts out there who could provide info?

 

Hello, kitten-owning Toba. The beads look like glass approximations of Chinese turquoise.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/577593...FhVJ2S_Wssrk1Huk7I1CWaWBjI6kCCsEaAhG_EALw_wcB

 

Hi, Toba, and welcome!

Sorry, I know nothing about your beads, but I really LOVE your kitten!

 

She's (my kitten) a handful. The beads do have a turquoise color - just wondering where they came from, if they were made locally or brought in from Europe. Thanks for the help

 

I love the kitten.

The beads look SE Asian to me. They could even have been made in Indonesia, where you are. East Java has manufactured glass trade beads for over a thousand years.
A 6th-9th century East Javanese jatim trade bead:



I don't think the maker had turquoise beads in mind, these come in different colours.

 

Thanks, Any Jewelry. I thought they looked similar to jatim. The ones I have are strange though. The design seems old, primitive (they vary in size, the holes are pretty large) but they are in fantastic shape. A few have flares at the end. None are chipped. And i found them in a big can of assorted beads with battered chevron's and a few of those Venetian birthday cake beads in really bad shape. Anyway, thanks again.

 

Sounds wonderful, if you would like to show them, please do.

 

I think we should make it mandatory that everyone who posts photos here uses a kitten for scale.

Pretty beads. The cord doesn't seem to have a lot of age, do you think it is original to the beads?

 

They may be fairly recently made, using traditional lampwork techniques. Each bead is made individually, winding molten glass onto a mandrel, using the second color to apply the dots, then smoothing/marvering on a solid surface. They would show irregularities typical of hand work.

 

I bought them in '90, and recently restrung them. I'm really unsure of the age. Maybe I'll break out the camera today (instead of the phone) and take some decent close shots. Thanks for the lampwork info, 2manybooks... Are beads still commonly handmade in SE Asia now? One final kitten shot... Kinda artsy...

 

What a cutie!

 

Delightful, Toba!

 

"Indonesian Lampwork Glass Beads – mixed strand – Nice random mix of the lampwork beads. Most strands are graduated, some have pairs. Hand made in Java"

https://www.beadworldbeads.com/product/indonesian-lampwork-glass-beads-mixed-strand/

 

Wow, thanks. That makes me want to visit Java.

 

Too cute.

Yes they are, especially in East Java.

 

Yes All handmade glass beads in mixed style very beautiful

 

Welcome @Tokomanikkaca .
From your name I guess you have a glass beads shop in Indonesia.

 

Hi Toba, hi little furry one. Does he/she have a name? Quite young and a wonderful colour combo. The kitten, not the beads. Although I do like the beads as well.

 

She. Apologies, cat.