A brief history of beads
The history of beads dates as at least 40,000 years as soon as we started creating human culture beads were part of that Culture.
Every human culture has their own version of beads, some with thousands of variations; many beads are also integral parts of ceremonies, prayers and the active culture of a society. For this reason humans quickly found many different ways to manufacture beads. Processes as simple as stringing shells that already have ready made holes in them were the first and most obvious beads. Early beads were sometimes made using softer plant materials this was simple way for early beads to be created, such beads are still actively produced to this day. Tools were quickly implemented to turn stone into beads making new possibilities available to the creative new cultures. Metallurgy was also quickly employed to create brass, silver and gold beads. Glass making made the transparent qualities of precious stones widely available to many people in a much more efficient manner, the history of glass beads on their own is a complex and multi-layered story. The history of North America as well as every other continent is scattered with beads.
Indigenous American bead production before western contact was diverse, though limited in production. Gold, jade, bone, turquoise and hand polished shell beads all existed thousands of years prior to European contact. Trading networks within pre-contact Americas moved materials and beads. Trading beads was a well established custom when Europeans arrived, sadly this was often exploited to the worst results. Though stories of what was bought with these European beads are often much exaggerated. There are no historical records in existence that prove Manhattan was bought for a handful of beads, however this legend persists to this day and is even included in some history books.
With the opening of European trade, the First Nations market started with Europeans taking full advantage of the different materials available to them. Inexpensively produced glass beads were a principal trading unit with the First Nation people. In Canada, French merchants supplied manufactured beads of varied colors. These beads were traded liberally with the First Nations people along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi rivers.
Canada’s, Hudson Bay Company included beads as part of their standard traded goods with their North American commerce. Valuable furs much coveted in European salons were traded for inexpensive glass beads. These new beads had an effect on the indigenous production, no longer popular, quill and other native material beads gradually faded out of existence. European design ideas greatly influenced First Nation bead work with surprising results - often hybrids of tradition quill patterns with glass beads or European inspired patterns with a fresh take. The natural environment was and is an important part of First Nation bead work influencing and infusing new life in old ideas.
Half way around the world Europeans were causing the same revolution in how native Filipinos worked and traded, though familiar with trading with Chinese and Arab ships, Europeans once more took the advantage of cheaply produced glass beads to change a culture. Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to visit the Philippines, it also became his grave as he tried to force indigenous populations into mass trade and religious conversion deals. It would be naïve to think that cultures should stay in isolated vacuums-a near impossibility. Some Europeans forgot the teaching of their own beliefs that all people were equal and do unto others…but I digress from beads.
Today commerce in beads is active throughout the Philippine archipelago; many of these beads are directly linked to the original pre-contact materials such as shell seeds and wood, these are largely produced for external markets. The history of beads is an active and ongoing story.