| Original Message: Exceptions to the rule? |
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Hi Billy, Large Edo Period glass beads (larger than one inch) are sometimes -but rarely- found on large inro or tobacco pouches. The round one with green squiggles is quite beautiful in my opinion. Having specialized in ojime for forty years, I find that the cylindrical one with rounded ends is not Edo Period for too many good reasons. Although this silhouette was popular during the Edo Period, and even though the black spiral cane is well done and well placed, everything else is wrong: The shades of blue, white and clear glass are not the right colors. The perimeter of the aperture is jagged. Also, the surface of the glass is too shiny and has a few waves in it. Importantly, I doubt that Edo Period craftsmen would accidentally omit a "puckered," "dimpled," or "beveled" aperture. Classically, this ambitious bead -which has a large hole and therefore probably intends to look like an ojime- should not abrade the cord which passes through it...The literal translation for the Japanese word "ojime" is slide closure. Even if the bead in question were not intended for usage as an ojime, a well made Japanese bead would traditionally have a countersunk hole. Just Fred All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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