Beadwork is the art or craft of attachingbeads to one another by stringing them onto a thread or thin wire with asewing or beading needle or sewing them to cloth.^[1] Beads are produced in a diverse range of materials, shapes, and sizes, and vary by the kind of art produced. Most often, beadwork is a form of personal adornment (e.g.jewelry), but it also commonly makes up other artworks.

Beadwork techniques are broadly divided into several categories, includingloom andoff-loom weaving,stringing,bead embroidery,bead crochet,bead knitting, and beadtatting.^[2]

The art of creating and utilizing beads is ancient, and ostrich shell beads discovered in Africa can be carbon-dated to 10,000 BC.^[3][4]Faience beads, a type of ceramic created by mixing powdered clays, lime, soda, and silica sand with water until a paste forms, then molding it around a stick or straw and firing until hard, were notably used inancient Egyptian jewelry from theFirst Dynasty (beginning in theearly Bronze Age) onward.^[5][6] Faience and other ceramic beads withvitrifiedquartz coatings predate pure glass beads.^[7]

Beads and work created with them were found near-ubiquitously across the ancient world, often made of locally available materials. For example, theAthabaskan peoples ofAlaska usedtusk shells (scaphopod mollusks), which are naturally hollow, as beads and incorporated them into elaborate jewelry.^[8]

Beadwork has historically been used forreligious purposes, as good lucktalismans, for barter and trade, and for ritual exchange.^[4]

Today, beadwork is commonly practiced byjewelers, hobbyists, and contemporary artists; artists known for using beadwork as a medium includeLiza Lou,Ran Hwang,Hew Locke,Jeffery Gibson, andJoyce J. Scott.^[9]

Some ancient stitches have become especially popular among contemporary artists. The off-loompeyote stitch, for example, is used inNative American Church members' beadwork.^[10]

Jewelry made of beads was widespread and fashionable in Western Ukraine, which was connected with the familiarity of Ukrainian artists with the artistic achievements of the countries of Western Europe, where from the 18th century. There was afashion for artistic products made of beads. Modern Ukrainian beadwork includes: beaded clothing, collars,bracelets,necklaces, necklaces-gerdanes, clothing accessories, and household items such aspysanka.^[11]

Beadwork in Europe, much like in Egypt and the Americas, can be traced to the use of bone and shell as adornments amongstearly modern humans.^[3] As glassmaking increased in popularity through theMiddle Ages, glass beads began to appear extensively in bead embroidery, beaded necklaces, and similar wares.^[12]

InNorthern Russia, theKokoshnik headdress typically includes river pearl netting around the forehead in addition to traditional bead embroidery.^[13]

By 1291, artists inMurano, Italy had begun production of intricate glassMurano beads inspired byVenetian glassware. With the advent oflampwork glass, Europeans started producingseed beads for embroidery, crochet, and other, mostly off-loom techniques.^[7] Czech seed beads are among the most popular contemporary bead styles.

One technique of European beadwork is beaded "immortal" flowers. The technique's origins, though indistinct, are generally agreed to range at least several centuries back, as far back as at least the 16th if not 14th century.^[14][15] Two mayor styles were developed: French beading, in which the wire only goes through each bead once and the wires are arranged vertically, and Victorian (also called English or Russian) beading, in which the wires go through each bead twice and are arranged horizontally.^[14] In the late 19th and early 20th century, the beaded flowers were used to create long lastingfuneral wreaths, calledimmortelles (French for "immortals").^[15] In the mid-20th century, the art was introduced to United States with sales of flower beading kits. In 1960s to 1970s, books by emerging beaded flower designers emerged.^[14][15] In the 1990s and 2000s, there was another revival of interest in the craft, exemplified for example by the funeral wreaths made to commemorate victims of theSeptember 11 attacks.^[14]

Ukrainian masters develop exclusively national motifs in their bead collections. Beaded artworks include clothing ensembles, clothing accessories, priestly clothing decorations, and household items. At the beginning of the 20th century embroidery workshops were created on the territory of Galicia and Bukovyna, where, along with weaving and embroidery, jewelry from beads was made. Contemporary beadwork includes: beaded clothing, collars, bracelets, necklaces, clothing accessories like handbags and purses.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Native American beadwork, already established via the use of materials like shells,dendrite, claws, and bone, evolved to incorporate glass beads as Europeans brought them to the Americas beginning in theearly 17th century.^[20][21]

Native beadwork today heavily utilizes small glass beads, but artists also continue to use traditionally important materials.Wampum shells, for instance, are ceremonially and politically important to a range ofEastern Woodlands tribes, and are used to depict important events.^[22]

Several Native American artists from a wide range of nations are considered to be at the forefront of modern American bead working. These artists includeTeri Greeves (Kiowa, known for beaded commentaries onNative voting rights),^[23]Marcus Amerman (Choctaw, known for realistic beaded portraits of historical figures and celebrities),^[24] andJamie Okuma (Luiseño-Shoshone-Bannock, known for beaded dolls).^[25]

Ursuline nuns in theGreat Lakes introduced floral patterns to young Indigenous women, who quickly applied them to beadwork.^[26]Ojibwe women in the area created ornately decorated shoulder bags known asgashkibidaagan (bandolier bags).^[27]

TheAnishinaabe in the Great Lakes region use beading to share stories about the traditions and culture of the tribe. There are 7 core teachings from theTeachings of the Seven Grandfathers that the Anishinaabe people embody in their culture, storytelling, and beadwork: Wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth.^{[citation needed]}

Innu,Mi'kmaq,Penobscot, andHaudenosaunee peoples developed, and are known for, beading symmetrical scroll motifs, most often in white beads.^[28] Tribes of theIroqouis Confederacy practice raised beading, where threads are pulled taut to force beads into abas-relief, which creates a three-dimensional effect.^[29][30]

Southeastern tribes pioneered a beadwork style that features images with white outlines, a visual reference to the shells and pearls coastal Southeasterners used pre-contact.^[31] This style was nearly lost during theTrail of Tears, as many beadworkers died during their forced removal toIndian Territory west of theMississippi River. Roger Amerman (Choctaw, brother ofMarcus Amerman) andMartha Berry (Cherokee) have effectively revived the style, however.^[31]

Huichol communities in the Mexican states ofJalisco andNayarit uniquely attach their beads to objects and surfaces via the use of a resin-beeswax mixture (in lieu of wire or waxed thread).^[32] Huichol beadwork is commonly characterized by bright colors and geometric shapes, and motifs of animals and spirits illustrate their spiritual beliefs.^[33]

Métis were known as the Flower Beadwork People by theCree andDene because of their culture of colourful floral beadwork and embroidery.^[34] During the early 19th century, European and Euro-North American observers and travelers frequently noted the intricate beadwork adorning Métis clothing. This beadwork, particularly floral patterns, has evolved into one of the most recognizable symbols of Métis culture. Métis artisans employed First Nations beadwork techniques along with floral designs influenced byFrench-Canadian nuns inRoman Catholic missions. By the 1830s, vibrant and lifelike floral motifs dominated Métis creations from theRed River region. Beadwork adorned nearly every traditional Métis garment, from moccasins to coats, belts to bags.^[35] The practice of beadwork became a vital economic activity for Métis women and families, spanning generations and providing both personal and commercial expression. Métis organizations like theLouis Riel Institute and theGabriel Dumont Institute actively promote and preserve traditional beading through workshops and resources, ensuring its continuation within the community.

Aside from jewelry and apparel bead work, bead curtains made a rise in the 1960-1970’s. Bead curtains root back to as early as the 20th century in China,^[37] where they were known for the positive energy that they shared. They typically consist of a horizontal pole or piece of wood that has rows of string dangling vertically, each string adorned with beads from top to bottom. These curtains provide a sense of separation between rooms and sometimes to deflect insects along with their decorative qualities.^[38] They often fall under the category of ‘screen’ alongside cloth, stone, or wood, though offer a completely different sensory experience while passing though them.^[39]

In both Chinese and Japanese glass bead curtains, they’re inscribed with important messages; they often deal with auspicious factors like ‘double happiness’ and immortality. Common iconography, which was created by hanging the beads in a certain pattern, included suns and cranes, to signify happiness and peace.^[38]

While there’s no physical evidence of these existing before the 20th century, early bead curtains were found to be made of jade, agate, shell, serpentine, faience, glass, bamboo tubes, wood and seeds. They were originally referred to as knotted bead nets or corpse curtains, as they often served as a rank of wealth when an individual was buried.^[37] Although pearl and crystal curtains gained popularity around the same time, they were often mistaken for glass bead curtains due to looks. Historical texts indicate that pearl curtains were made from real pearls, although we lack any substantial evidence.

Several African nations outside of Egypt have beadwork traditions.Aggry (also spelled aggri or aggrey) beads, a type of decorated glass bead, are used by Ghanaians and other West Africans to make necklaces and bracelets that may be traded for other goods.^[40] These beads are often believed to have magical medicinal of fertility powers. In Mauritania,powder-glassKiffa beads represent a beading tradition that may date as far back as 1200 CE; a group of women have been revitalizing the craft after the last traditional Kiffa artisans died in the 1970s.^[41] Cameroonian women are known for crafting wooden sculptures covered in beadwork.^[42]

• Glass beadmaking
• Beadweaving

• Berlo, Janet C.; Ruth B. Phillips (1998).Native North American Art. Oxford History of Art. Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-284218-3.
• Dubin, Lois Sherr (1999).North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to the Present. New York: Harry N. Abrams.ISBN 0-8109-3689-5
• Dubin, Lois Sherr (2009).The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present. New York: Harry N. Abrams.ISBN 978-0810951747.
• Beads and beadwork. (1996).In Encyclopedia of north american indians, Houghton Mifflin. Retrieved 27 January 2014, from[1]

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