Beads in national costumes

People began to wear ornamentation earlier than they began to wear themselves. You can see people's images with necklaces on neolith age pictures. Archaeologists found objects, which were used as ornamentation in excavations of very ancient civilizations.

Ornamentation primordial was not simply fripperies, because they were ways of communication with gods and spirits. Men used to wear it more often than women did. Amulets, chaplets, necklaces and figures were supposed to bring good luck in hunting and battles and to scare away bad fairies. Beads were though to have an important part in different rituals, holidays and ceremonies. Shamans, charlatans and magicians couldn't do without beads.

Folks, who weren't influenced by European civilization, had been keeping these traditions for a long period of time. First American explorers left a lot of descriptions how Indians used beads. For example, Russian see-expeditionary travelers described advice of Indians-iroces. Before an important decision was made, the headman told stories about his tribe while he was holding a bunch of white and purplish red beads. This bunch of beads was called "wampum". Only men were allowed to wear wampum as a belt or to put over shoulder. Wampum was used as a sign of legates and runners full powers. Wampum was a sign of belief and a guaranty to fulfill a promise. With the colonizer's coming, wampum became a unit of exchange.

Indians decorated domestic appliances with beads to protect their houses and food from bad fairies. They enweaved beads, made from shells and pearl, in waterproof grass baskets. Beads from bird's bones and pearl were sewed on clothes, earrings and nets for hair. After beads appeared, they were used instead of accustomed materials, keeping traditional ways of work. Ritual belts, headbands, children's cradles, tobacco-boxes and so one were decorated with glassy beads.

In former times in Russia, men used to wear wealthy caftan's collars decorated with beads, nacres, jewels and fancy-work. Women used to cover their head-dresses with pearls, beads and magnificent embroideries.

Beads, seed pearl and nacres were used not only for making necklaces, earrings and fixings dresses and headgear, but also for books binding, canonicals and ornaments. Beads, which were brought from other countries and were very fine and spruce, used to be valued as much as gold and precious stones.

Africa is believed to be the infancy of mankind. Two milliard years ago, the climate of Africa wasn't as dry as nowadays. Nevertheless some primates adapted to new circumstances in savanna and they became active hunters with rudiments of wit and mind instead of vegetable life. Descendants of primates gradually settled down in Africa and later in other continents. No wonder that African rock's pictures are the most ancient among similar pictures. Some of them, found in Namibia, are about 26-19 thousand years. African art haven't changed much as for example European art and it was left without fundamental correctives. It contains energy with mythological world outlook. Beads were broadly used in African national costumes. Nowadays tourists can buy outlandish bracelets, earrings and amulets in Africa and these chef-d'oeuvres are none the worse European art.

Japan, in contradistinction to most countries, has been developing without big economical and political convulsions. Probably, because of these factors the culture of Japan has a unique stratum of new and old traditions. Colors of clothes, pictures and ornaments had very big meaning and mysterious symbols. Precious stone and beads were used for gods' ornamentation. Beads weren't used so much in informal dress and national costumes. Only geishas and samurais had very rich clothes with a lot of beads, especially belts were decorated very prodigally. In general, round shape has big meaning in Japanese decorative art, because circle is a symbol of life and anything of round shape symbolizes the infinite of world's cycle. 'Smooth' motives are attributes for Chinese culture. The history of Chinese land is at least 7000 years old. Ancient civilization had created original culture, later including the Chinese's technical progress. Glass also had an important part in Chinese culture. Beads were broadly used for clothes decoration and even became a new art trend called "nazka". Originally, nazka were beads, which were appended to a belt. Little by little, these beads became various forms, turned into magnificent and neat figures and became popular in the world. Nazka are thought to be Japanese art, but the Japanese had adapted it from the Chinese. Chinese people invented a new pictures etching on narrow surfaces with precious stone and glass. The secret of this method was kept for 2000 years as the secret of silk, but these secrets were stolen. Nowadays these unique Chinese technologies are used in different countries.

Beads are extensively used in modern national costumes, furnishings and fancywork. National clothes became a new reservoir for searching and reviving in new and modern material.