African Trade Beads
Trade beads are beads that were made mostly in Europe (especially Venice, the Netherlands, and Bohemia) and used to trade for goods, services, land, and even enslaved people in Africa. These beads were brought to Africa by European traders and became deeply embedded in local cultures.
Common types include:
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Venetian Millefiori (thousand flowers) beads – intricate glass beads with floral patterns
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Chevron beads – layered star-patterned beads made with multiple colors
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Dutch Dogons – named after the Dogon people of Mali
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Russian Blue – deep blue glass beads often used in West Africa
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Krobo beads – made in Ghana from recycled glass (some modern, some old)
