The assortment of handicraft stores includes beads of various types and shapes. For most people, these are simple beads that every person has used at least once in their life. Historians, studying scientific treatises, which present types of needlework with a long history (beadwork), noticed that many centuries ago, ancient people actively used them in their everyday life.
Content
- Appearance of material
- The art of embroidery
- Modern technologies
Appearance of material
Beads have been known since ancient times. Its predecessors were glass beads. They were used as adornments for clothing by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and the Scythians wore shoes embroidered by them. Nowadays, both evening suits and dresses and wedding dresses are decorated with beads. Beads can be either an independent decoration or complement the decoration of an outfit. For example, it can be combined with lace, guipure. This decor will look great even on cheap wedding dress.
In our country, this material appeared in the era of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Its name in translation from Arabic means "grains of glass". Until the beginning of the 17th century, they were considered pearls, which were used to embroider clothes and hats, even church utensils. By the end of this century, real beads were brought to Russia.
By the middle of the 18th century, the material was found almost everywhere in national costumes and church sewing. Another century passed and many small glass-making workshops for the production of beads arose on the territory of the country. The quality of these products was poor, and the needlewomen did not like this material.
At the end of the 19th century a glass bead factory started working in Odessaowned by Roniger and produces excellent quality beads. The color scheme of the material was amazing. It contained about 800 different shades. But the factory, unfortunately, could not stand the competition with foreign manufacturers and did not last long. The repeated revival of the production of this material in Russia took place in the first half of the 20th century. During this period, a variety of beaded baubles and handbags embroidered with them came into fashion.
The art of embroidery
The ability to embroider with beads is an art that was appreciated in any era. In the aristocratic environment, it even entered the educational sciences. This occupation was widespread in noble families and monasteries. Silk and velvet cuts of fabric were selected for work, pearl sewing and embroidery were real masterpieces.
Over the years, the ability to embroider has become the main craft of peasant women and girls. Men tried to tie themselves by marriage with a needlewoman. According to popular belief, it was believed that in such a marriage the house would reign:
- good;
- cosiness;
- heat;
- wealth.
In the second half of the 18th century, pearls were replaced by beads. With its help, not only clothes were decorated, but also the interior. The material became the basis for design solutions for decoration:
- palace halls;
- noble estates and manor houses.
At that time, it was used everywhere: paintings, framing icons, wallets, book bindings, caskets - nowhere did it do without it. It was considered a durable and resistant material, as it did not deteriorate over time.
Modern technologies
The manufacturing process has practically not changed over the past years. But new models, of course, have appeared. Craftswomen of our time use beads of various shapes and sizes in their works:
- hearts;
- ovals;
- asterisks;
- squares.
Needlewomen weave bracelets, necklaces, decorate their dresses. Fashion designers and interior designers are no exception. They incorporate this material into their ideas. More and more often, at fashion shows, you can see clothes decorated with small beads. In the interiors of apartments there are lampshades of floor lamps and lamps decorated with beads. Young people prefer bracelets, bags, belts and earrings made of this material.
Needlewomen have always worked and will work miracles by making wonderful products. In our innovative age, bead products are produced in factories in large batches. But the priority is always given to manual work, despite the high cost of such products. For most craftswomen, working with beads is not only a hobby, but also a means of earning money.
