
Title | Necklace Faceted Glass Trade Beads with Prossers Africa |
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Type of Object | Glass beads |
Made In | Europe |
Traded In | Africa |
Approximate Age | 19th or 20th century |
Overall Condition | Good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. |
Damage/Repair | Dirt, pitting, chips, wear. |
Bead Size | 5-14mm diameter. See picture with penny for size comparison (US penny is 19 mm diameter). |
Strand Length | 24 inches (includes string/raffia) |
Additional information: Prossers are molded beads that are created by pressing a finely powdered dry mixture of clay, feldspar and flint into a mold which is then heated in an oven until the material fuses and forms a glass bead. The technique is named after its inventor, Richard Prosser, who developed the process in Bohemia in the 1830s to produce buttons. Prosser beads can be recognized by the barely visible seam that runs around the center of the outside edge of each bead and by the uniformity of shape and size of beads in a single strand. Initially produced in the Czech Republic, prossers are now made in Morocco using the old Czech equipment.