Beads of Bali

A Long History!

Glass bead making has a long history on the isles now known as Indonesia. As the map below reveals, the 17,508 islands of Indonesia are located in the south region of what is generally referred to as Southeast Asia. It was an important stop along the many trade routes that connected Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. The historical record suggests that the archipelago had active trading routes with its neighbors as early as 200-300 BC. Indonesia's culture, customs, language, and religion are all products of its trading history.

The merchants of this land have long traded with people from India, Egypt, China, and other regions. Far from being isolated, Indonesia has been in a center of trading activity for perhaps 1500 years, maybe longer.

Native produced glass beads have been uncovered in Indonesia by archeologists that date back to at least 600 A.D. Most of the oldest beads have been found in East Java. It is likely that bead making existed in Indonesia even earlier, as beads from India are known to have made their way to Indonesia by 100 B.C.

Beads were often used as a currency for trade. Beads had cultural significance, as well.  For example, eye beads were often worn to keep evil spirits away. Eye beads are often referred to as "evil eye beads," but this is a bit of a misnomer since the beads were considered to be protectors against evil. The representation of the eye ball in eye beads ranges from very realistic, as is the case for the eye bead to the left, to very abstract, such as the eye bead shown to the right. Eye beads have been popular in Indonesia for many hundreds of years.

Another classic is the pelangi bead; "pelangi" is the Indonesian word for "rainbow." These are round or cylinder beads that were originally made in East Java and have a twisted striped configuration. These beads are typically very brightly colored, as should be expected given their name.  Pelangi beads are usually sold with a matte finish, perhaps out of respect for their ancient origins.

Mosaic beads of at least 1400 years of age have been uncovered in Indonesia. "Mosaic" is defined as "a picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface." A mosaic bead can be produced in several ways. The basic idea is to fuse segments of glass cane of varying color via flame.

As with pelangi beads, mosaic beads are often given a matte, rustic finish to create the appearance of age, as shown in the sample to the right.  Unfortunately, many contemporary mosaic (and pelangi) beads are subjected to great surface abuse and then fraudulently sold as antique beads.  If you ever travel to Java, be wary of natives offering you antique family heirlooms.

A Dying Craft

Sadly, the glass bead making tradition in Indonesia is dying very quickly. Indonesian glass bead makers are threatened by the same competitive forces that are devastating America's lampwork bead artists -- competition from China and India. Many glass bead artisans have abandoned their profession to seek more lucrative work. It may surprise you to learn that many of the wholesale bead outlets in Indonesia are now importing glass beads from China.  For better or worse, we all live in a global economy.

Many of the unique glass styles we offer will not be available in the future. Some appear to be no longer available to us even today. We will not be carrying glass beads after we reopen as an Indonesian company because of these competitive pressures.