Beads

The
Bead

Holding an old bead in my hand is holding a story. Beads have been made for hundreds of years. In my studio I have beads that date back into the 18th century. Imagine the stories in those beads. They began their life as far as half way around the world, made by hand in some village near the Mediterranean, in eastern Europe, the middle east, India, Asia, or Africa. One pair of hands created them. That began their journey. They may have been part of a piece of jewelry worn and loved by someone. They may have been passed down in that family. They were eventually traded. They may have journeyed by camel, by horse, by boat, by cart, by foot, by ship, by plane, ... How many hands, how many lives touched these beads as they journeyed through the many years, over the many miles, to be at this moment in my hands? Where will these beads continue on their travels? How many years will these beads grace the earth? How many lives will they touch? How much pleasure will they spread? What shall I create with them today that can be worthy of all this history rolled into a single bead?