When did Bead Netting Begin?
When did bead netting begin? Probably, in ancient Egypt by about 2400 BC. In this article, beadwork historian Valerie Hector shows an ancient beaded dress featuring two ancient beading techniques: ladder stitch and open diamond netting. The ancient Egyptians not only used both techniques in a single piece - they mastered the art of bead contouring, shaping the dress in figure-flattering ways.
How did ancient bead stringers keep their bead strands aligned?
How did ancient bead stringers align strands of beads? With spacer plates made of carved bone or pure gold. In this article, beadwork historian Valerie Hector shows an example of spacer plate stringing in a man’s beaded girdle dating to ca. 4000 BC in ancient Egypt - a girdle now housed in the British Museum.