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Best bead travel destinations?
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Posted by: Floorkasp

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06/10/2012, 03:51:55

As most of you know, I love combining travel with beads.
Some of the places I have travelled with beads (also) in mind have been Jablonec, Neugablonz, Briare, Tucson, Beijng, Hongkong, New York, Morocco, Paris, and along the slik road. Going back to Jablonec this summer. (very cheap, very interesting, easy to get to)
At the moment I am contemplating the possibility of taking three months from work next year to travel and write about beads. No idea yet if finances will allow it but I will certainly try. I am mostly thinking about Asia right now, perhaps combining it with the Borneo bead conference.
I have travelled through Africa befor (Mali, Ethiopia, Egypt), but that was before I had an interest in beads. Silly me...... Would love to go to Ghana.

I also have quite a few European destinations on my list like Venice and Lauscha.

So what are your recommendations of dreams when it comes to travelling and beads?

Re: Best bead travel destinations?
Re: Best bead travel destinations? -- Floorkasp	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: brianbrian

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06/12/2012, 06:13:47

Addis Abeba and Peshawar, Ghana and Gambia but it all depends whether you're looking for quantity or quality and the age and materials. Peshawar in Pakistan and Sanaa and Taiz in Yemen are probably not very safe unfortunately but in Addis Abeba you can find ancients and venetians and locally produced silver.

European museum collections might be interesting too.
Best of luck,
Brian

Thanks
Re: Re: Best bead travel destinations? -- brianbrian	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: floorkasp

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06/12/2012, 07:22:14

Thanks for your input.
I travelled to Ethiopia before, but was not interested in beads at the time. I do remember a local women who gave me a strand of beads as a gift. I now know they were whitehearts, but unfortunately they have become lost in one of my many times of moving house.

I am not so much looking to buy beads, but more looking for the stories. The stories of making beads, trading beads, craftsmen and factories.....

Had not thought about Yemen, but obviously it would be a great place to talk to silversmiths and look at how they work and value beads.

It is still difficult to see museum collections that are not on display. Some of the museums I have spoken to require you to be a researcher at a university to gain access to the archives. Still hoping to get to see the Tropenmuseum collection of Sick & Co sample cards and the Redlhammer collection in a museum in Vienna.

Re: Best bead travel destinations?
Re: Best bead travel destinations? -- Floorkasp	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Russ Nobbs

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06/29/2012, 00:37:41

Ghana, particularly the markets, powder glass bead making and Kumasi brass bead and gold weight casting. Even less is known about the Ivory Coast and Nigerian brass bead casting that is usually more detailed than work from Ghana.

China:
Guangzhou bead market and Donguan area in Guangdong bead factories assuming you can make arrangements with their HK offices to get into the factories and workshops.

Yiwu and Zhuji areas in Zhejiang province for all the crystal bead and small item manufacturing and FW pearl industry. Xiamen, Fujian province for crystal factories. The drawn chevron cane factory in Boshan,Zibo,Shandong,China

The town north of Beijing that is known for dZi style production.

Philippines, Bali Indonesia, Jember, Java, Indonesia.

I envy your youth, Floor, and your drive. I've been many places but there are so many more I'd like to go to or return to but I know I can't see all of them. Thanks for sharing your travels with us!

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