The « Venice Reflections » Collection

The Venetian Glass bead was awarded the prestigious UNESCO status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. What is in a VENETIAN BEAD? A Reflection of history as glass bead making started in Venice in the 14th century; a Reflection of international trade as venetian beads have been recovered in archaeological sites all over the world, from Alaska to Zimbabwe; a Reflection on all the artists, artisans  and workers, often women, often in harsh conditions, involved, from the glass master making the glass rods, the Perleri and Conteria workers creating glass beads… all the way to the Impiraresse who string them; a Reflection on the sophisticated skills and techniques  passed down since Mesopotamian times and perfected in Venice;  and finally, a Reflection on  the peregrinations  of the guardians of those skills, from the Roman Empire to Constantinople, to Venice, to France, who were refugees fleeing war or entrepreneurs lured by the potential of wealth in another country.

The “REFLECTION collection combines antique, vintage and contemporary Venetian glass beads, reflecting a layered legacy - each bead carrying a story.

La collection « Mémoires Venitiennes »

La perle de Venise fait partie du Patrimoine culturel mondial de l’humanité, statut qui lui a été conféré par l’UNESCO en 2020.
Que trouve dans une perle de Venise ? La MEMOIRE de l’histoire des perles de verre qui a commencé à Venise au 14eme siècle : la MEMOIRE des routes commerciales à travers le monde : des perles de Venise ont été retrouvées dans les sites archéologiques du monde entier, de l’Alaska au Zimbabwe ; la MEMOIRE de tous les artistes, artisans, ouvriers, travaillant souvent dans des conditions difficiles, impliqués dans cette chaine allant des maitres verriers pour les canes de verre aux Perleri et Conteria, la plupart du temps des femmes, jusqu'aux « Impiraresse » réalisant les paquets de fils ; la MEMOIRE des savoir-faire et techniques, souvent sophistiquées, transmises depuis la Mésopotamie jusqu'’à Venise ; et enfin, la MEMOIRE des périgrinations des gardiens de ces savoir-faire de l’Empire Romain à Constantinople , puis Venise, la Frane… Réfugiés fuyant la guerre ou entrepreneur attirés par les promesse de richeses liées à l’introduction de ces techniques dans un autre pays.

La Collection MEMOIRES VENITIENNES combine des perles de Venise anciennes, vintage et contemporaine, chaque perle enfermant son histoire particulière.

R10:
Vintage Murano tubes, with silver and modern Venetian beads.

R16:  Modern venetian beads, silk tassel, silver chain.

R1:
Coral branch created by Marisa Convento, artist and impiraresse, leather and modern venetian bead.

R9:
Beaded balls from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse, modern Venetian beads with  silver.  Silver chain.

R23:
Vintage and modern Venetian beads, silver chain.

R11:
Vintage Murano tubes, with silver, modern Venetian beads, antique Millefiori created for the African trade.

R17:  
Beaded balls from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse, vintage Murano glass tubes, silver, leather.

R20:  
Vintage Murano beads – 1940s; vintage French embroidery; silver chain.

R22:   
Modern Venetian Glass beads with gold dust.

R28:  
Antique Venetian millefiori beads created for the African Trade, vintage Murano glass tubes, modern central Venetian bead, silk tassel.

R33:  
Modern Venetian beads, antique millefiori created for the African Trade, felt beads on a resin and metal cord.

R39 abc:
Vintage and Modern Murano beads, silver chain, bronze elements.

R37:
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade, felt, ceramic and shell disk.

R44:
Modern Venetian beads on silver; vintage Indian beads and lace.

R46:
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade and sourced in Mali, modern venetian beads, felt.

R38 b:
Modern Venetian bead, silk tassel.

R3:
Coral branch created by Marisa Convento, artist and impiraresse, vintage Murano beads, leather, silver.

R4:
Beaded balls from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse, modern Venetian beads, silver chain.

R2:
Coral branch created by Marisa Convento, artist and impiraresse, metal chain.

R6:
Beaded balls from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse, antique millefiori created for the African Trade.

R13:  
Central glass bead with gold dust, created by Murano artist Muriel Balensi, early 20th century beads imitating pearls.

R18:  
Vintage Murano beads – 1940s, quartz, silk tassel, French embroidery, silver chain.

R5:
Coral branch created by Marisa Convento, artist and impiraresse, silver chain

R12: Vintage Murano tubes, with silver, modern Venetian beads.

R21:  
Glass bead with gold dust, created by Murano artist Muriel Balensi.

R24:
Vintage and modern Venetian beads, lapis lazuli, metal elements, silver chain.

R43 abc:
Take a part of Venice with you and wear, this unique silver bead, evocative of the Grand Canal.  This bead has been created by artist Muriel Balensi, in her Murano Studio.   In this bead, Muriel demonstrates superb mastery of her art here, being able to draw on a surface less than 2, 5 cm2, with a glass cane 0.02 mm thick at a temperature around 2500 °.

R27:
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade, ceramic beads, metal chain.

R41 abc:
Vintage Murano conteria tubes, antique venetian beads, created for the African Trade, sourced in Mali, silver beads.

R34:
Modern vintage and antique beads, antique Venetian beads.

R45:
Antique Murano bead sourced in Mali, modern Murano beads, embroidery, ribbons and metal.

R42:  
A blown glass element evocative of Venice campaniles, created in the Cathedral furnace of Glass Artist Aristide Najean. Vintage metal chain.

R6:
Beaded balls from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse, antique millefiori created for the African Trade.

R8:
Beaded pendant from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse.

R19:  
Vintage Murano beads – 1940s; silk tassel, French; silver chain.

R25:
Modern Murano silver beads, antique millefiori created for the African Trade, felt beads, brass chain.

R29:  
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade, vintage Murano glass tubes, modern silver based Venetian bead, coloured baroque pearls.

R15:  
An evocation of the campaniles and domes, of Venice, hand blown and mirrorized, created by Aristide Najean, Najean&Sy, “la Cattedrale”, Murano.

R14:  
Beaded pendant from Luisa Conventi, one of the few remaining Venetian Impiraresse.

R35:
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade, modern Venetian beads, vulcanite disks.

R32:  
Vintage Murano beads, metal elements, silver chain.

R26:  
Seeds from Brazil, vintage Murano glass tubes, antique millefiori created for the African Trade, felt beads.

R31:  
Vintage Venetian beads.

R38a:
Modern Venetian bead, silk tassel.

R47:
Modern Venetian beads, on gold and on silver sheets. Mounted on a brass chain dipped in 24 carat gold.

R40 ab:
Murano beads by Glass Artists Muriel Balensi and Manuela Zanvettori.

R30:  
Antique Venetian beads created for the African Trade; modern and vintage Murano beads, resin.

R36:
Antique Venetian millefiori beads created for the African Trade, vintage Murano glass tubes, modern Venetian bead, wooden beads. Mounted on rubber, silver clasp.

R48:  
Vintage and modern Venetian beads.