Reproduction Glass Venetian Trade Beads

Native American Indians have used beads as part of their attire for centuries. These beads were made from shells, stone, wood, copper, bones and antler and other locally available materials Glass beads for trade were introduced to the Native Indians initially by European explorers, and later by The Hudson's Bay Company and other fur tradingcompanies. Lewis and Clark introduced glass beads into new areas they traversed, but they also saw glass beads that had been obtained by Native Americans on the Pacific coast from other traders, who then in turn traded them to interior tribes. As the fur trade expanded westward, forts and trading posts were established, and the availability of trade goods, which certainly included an expanding selection of glass beads, grew.

Crazy Crow Trading Post offers a selection of reproductions of these earliest and most popular glass trade beads, such as chevron beads made initially in Venice. These beads make a nice addition to various traditional Native American regalia, as well as fur trade era rendezvous outfits and accoutrements.