Worldwide History of Beads

First published in 1987 as “The History of Beads,” Lois Sherr Dubin’s “Worldwide History of Beads: Ancient, Ethnic, Contemporary” has become a collectible tome rife with references for bead lovers, collectors and scholars.

 

In the newer edition of the book, Dubin has expounded on the latest archaeological discoveries, with a new chapter on contemporary adornment from the ‘80s, as well as 225 beads added to the book’s 8-page gatefold timeline guiding readers through the rich tapestry of bead history from its earliest forms. Dubin also explores how beads were worn on the human body as an original media communication system.

Natural jeweled wonders of the world – amber and pearls – occupy their own chapters; so do every major continent and special bead chronology. Plenty of full-color photographs populate every chapter, allowing readers to read the pictures (and learn the story) without benefit of words.

“Worldwide History of Beads: Ancient, Ethnic, Contemporary” begins with antiquity from neolithic times and the Roman empire through to the Renaissance, jumping to prayer beads, the world of Islam, European expansion and trends on the African continent. Dubin further delves into bead history in the Far East, Middle and South America and North America, as well as specialty beads and contemporary trends.

 

“Natural jeweled wonders of the world—amber and pearls—occupy their own chapters; so do every major continent and special bead chronology. Plenty of full-color photographs populate every chapter, allowing readers to read the pictures (and learn the story) without benefit of words. Don’t forget the eight-page gatefold (plus four indexes) showing the timeline of beads throughout history. Still a champion two decades later,” says Barbara Jacobs.

 

Dubin has collected and researched beads for over 50 years. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in landscape architecture and ecology. Her international practice in this field enabled her to travel widely and to obtain beads from many countries.