The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-26
BEADS AND THEIR USES.
Four Hundred Kinds Made for African
Trafiic-Ancient Origin.
Sir Edwin Arnold.

| Sir Edwin Arnold
1.-The great and mysterious Goddess of
| Fashion has, for some reason best known
| to herself, decreed that beads should come
| into vogue again. That commanding
| whisper which comes from no visible
! source, and yet is heard and obeyed every
where. has passed through the world of
womankind; and the observant may already
notice strings of many colored beads APP
| pearing on the necks and breasts, the
wrists and tresses of the fair votaries of
| the goddess. In this her edct she goes
back to mode never really out of favor
since humanity nrSt took to Self-govern-
ment. Beads are certainly the most ancient
| of all forms of bedecking Of the body, I'M
| less we except the field and forest bios
SONS which the maids and matrons of
| the flint and bronze periods may have fixed
| in their tangled locks, or woad and other
| dyes. But in many parts of the earth beads
| are as important to millions of people as
| they ever were, and for the simple and suf-
| ficient reason that nothing can be prettier
| than the bright contrasted colors of them
| on dark skin, nay, or even a fair one
What artist does not value the delicious
| effect Of string Of fiattened blue Venetian
beads upon the snowy throat of blonde,
| or the splendid display of tint to be got
| from row Of rose red coral or sunlit am
| Der glittering upon a dusky bosom?
Nobody knows who first invented beads.
Perhaps 1T was some primitive savage who
| found nuts or oak gals in the forest frilled
| by the WOODWORK and threaded them to-
gether on stalk OF grass. Anything and
| everything with a hole In il served at
| the beginning for beads-cowrie shells, fish
| teeth, claws Of beasts, striped and spotted
| seeds and the like. But the great age of
| beads began with the invention of glass.
and the Egyptians, Carthaginians and
| Phoenicans generally were skilled crafts
| men at bead-making. Their methods were
much the same as may be seen to-day in
| Venice, or any other chief seat of the art.
| Long rods of colored glass are fused and
| twisted together into the pattern required
| and pieces then pinched off the blended
| rod and pierced while semi fluid. Choicer
! specimens, such those which are to
| initiate jewels or to have special pattern,
| must be more carefully prepared. but the
process is simple and uniform for the
| larger portion of the beads used at home
| in dress trimmings and for commerce
| abroad.
! With strings of such, made for them, no
| doubt, In Italy, the Spanish conquerors
| under Cortez and Pizarro bought up their
| gold and lands from the color loving
| Caciques. With tons and scores of tons
| of such a prodigious trade is to-day con-
Quoted over Africa and other parts of the
| globe. and II would astonish many new
| wearers of beads to learn how immense is
| their production and how wide their dis
| tribution. Venice alone has long been ac-
| customed to send forth every ten years
| 10000 quintals Of beads. worth 65,000.000
I z,
manufacture is always proceeding to sup
( ply the Unsuitable demands of Zanzibar.
| But the trade has to be more carefully
| studied. To do good business In any ma
| bead with you. A blue with white stripes
| will not serve where scarlet with black
| drops Is wanted. In the go-downs of Fan
,ibar, and in offices which could be named
! In Bevs Marks, they keep cards displaying
| at least 400 kinds of beads for African
| traffic. Many OF them are extremely pref
4 m md
| most all of them bear distinguishing
| names. Some of the native appellations
stance, COWS eyes" the snake TOOTH"
| drop of honey" swallows eggs" blood
| beads and milk beads" while one inn
as the town breaker" because people will
| fight to any extent for its possession.
Aware of the taste of each locality the
| of assorted bead strings with which they
| know how to buy anything and everything
| at a. fine profit. Even woman who had
| the luck TO be wearing thread of town
| breakers" at the right time and spot in
! East Africa. necklace OF '.gri-gri on
| The west coast, might occasionally pur-
| chase a big estate with her baubles.
| These black people in their passion for
| beads show true artistic taste. They are
! thousand times right to admire the love-
| ly decision of color which In a simple glass
| bead makes itself precious against sister
| bead of the soft tints of the human skin.
| They justly regard the well-made article
L IL
| able: but you could not get them to buy
] the frail false pearls. which are equally
| manufactured in Venice and elsewhere by
| blowing tiny spheres OF milky glass, and
| filing these up with bleak scales and wax
| The dusky belle must have her ornaments
| substantial. since they will pass through
| many a rude proof In cave and kraal And
| your well-made Venetian bead will prac-
] .ically last forever, unchanged in beauty.
There. must be plenty of beads worn at
| by the traders of King Solomon, who traf-
| ficked to Ophir. or those more daring
| mariners of Tyre and Sidon, who sailed
| haps, even to the Zambesi river.
Another considerable employment for the
bead industry Is derived from the practice
| amaze the public TO know how vast is the
| demand made by the religious world In this
| direction. Not only do countless members
| of the Roman Catholic community tell
| their beads" in reciting the AVE Marys"
| and ''Paternosters." but other large
| stantly asking for new supplies and pat
4 terms. A I.evantine merchant. not only
| when he is at devotions, but in the market
| place and at the cafe. loves 10 roll between
| his brown fingers and thumb the soft.
| smooth globes of well turned and deli
/ cately mounted rosary Of ivory, or shell,
| or amber. or pink and white coral. IL is
| 10 be feared that he very often reckons
| his bargains with il, using the sacred
| string for an abacus In the East also the
| rosary is largely used TO the profit Of the
| bead trade. Especially has Islam the Gus
| tom of the "Zikr," when a string of ninety
! nine beads is employed. each bead stand
| ing for one OF the ninety-nine beautiful
names Of Allah. which is devoutly pro-
| nounced and piously celebrated as the be-
| Hever draws through the palm OF his right
| or better hand the polished ball of veined
| marble or agate or blue lazuli or carved
| sandal wood. which is to remind him of
| some special attribute Of his Creator In
| my pearls OF the Faith" all these ninety
! rfne beautiful names were enumerated
| and becoming legend attached to each
| This is Isiam's rosary. and beauty herself
| will perceive she puts on the new dec
| orafoDs decreed by fashion that even
beads have their serious side.