Display – Face Beads by Lissa Underhill

Mistress Lissa Underhill, Hartshorn-Dale

EK Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/index.php?title=Elysabeth_Underhill

Face Beads started to be made in the 7th century BC, when according to Glenn Markoe in Phoenicians (p. 156-7), “demon masks, animals, and male and female heads began to appear. It’s probably more correct to call these figures pendants, rather than beads, as Markoe notes that they were often found on necklaces as special talismans (perhaps these are another variant of “evil eye” beads, as are the stacked dots beads on the necklace above). Markoe says that these beads were likely made at multiple workshops along the Phoenician coast, in areas such as Cyprus, the Egyptian Delta, and Carthage. The pendants started small (3cm) but later grew up to 8 cm in height. These beads traveled widely and have been found throughout the Mediterranean, and in Russian and Europe.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/249960?fbclid=IwAR1I5Rbql13ARJWAQXNHEV_FNGs88DXu89i8vRVFvxQE8egdJBZv2Zm3vy4

Corning’s Glass museum notes that these beads were made using the technique of core forming. Core forming is a process where small dried balls of clay, dung, and straw were wrapped around a mandrel. The bead was made on that “core” and the core cleaned out once the bead cooled. This results in a hollow bead. It is also easier to make larger beads using core forming, as less glass is required due to the large core. cmog.org/video/core-formed-vase-technique