The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present
Since its publication in 1987, The History of Beads has become the world's definitive guide for bead lovers, collectors, and scholars. In this new edition, bead expert Lois Sherr Dubin updates all chapters with the latest archeological discoveries, opens a new chapter on contemporary adornment since the 1980s, with a focus on glass beads, and best of all, adds 200 beads to what is considered by many to be the piece de resistance: the eight-page gatefold timeline that guides readers through the remarkably rich history of the world's first form of adornment.
The latest revisions include the oldest bead ever discovered, dating to 108,000 b.c. and explain why beads worn on the human body were the original media communication system. Updates include the numerous maps scattered throughout, which have been modernized and are now in color; 72 formerly black-and-white images have been replaced with full color; and 125 new photographs were added to this edition. Beautifully packaged with a new cover, this revised and expanded edition is a must-have for devotees of the first edition and for the next generation of bead obsessives and aficionados.
Author
Lois Sherr Dubin has collected and researched beads for over 50 years. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in landscape architecture and a strong background in ecology. Her international practice in this field enabled her to travel widely and to obtain beads from many countries. The History of Beads was her first book. She lives in New York City.
Review
Once a classic, always a classic. And better, when it’s substantially revised and updated. Dubin elevates her 22-year-old labor of love with major additions to her first chapter (thanks to archaeological finds in Peru and Georgia) and her last, with contemporary bead combinations worthy of a museum collection. Her scholarship is impeccable, as are the maps illustrating every period’s gem/bead sources. 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 time line of beads throughout history. Still a champion two decades later. --Barbara Jacobs