Asia's Maritime Bead Trade: 300 B.C. to the Present by Jr. Peter Francis

"Peter Francis, Jr., a pioneer in bead studies, incorporates firsthand knowledge of beads and beadmaking in the field with years of solid, scholarly research, effectively eliminating much of the hearsay and speculation that so often characterize works on beads. Made of glass, semiprecious stone, or precious organic materials such as amber and coral, they were ubiquitous in the ancient world, serving as decorations, magical charms, mnemonic and counting devices, symbols of wealth and status. Much of the ancient bead trade was incorporated in Asian maritime commerce, and many of the beads involved have Asian origins."

About the Author
Peter Francis, Jr. has devoted most of his adult life to the study of beads. He is the director of the Center for Bead Research, which he founded in 1979, and the webmaster of TheBeadSite.com, the most popular site of its kind. He is the author of Beads of the World, one of the standard books on beads, and has published hundreds of articles. He has worked with librarians, historians, archaeologists, and ethnographers--combining the methods and data of many fields--to uncover the story of beads and how they relate to people.

Item Weight : 2.3 pounds
Hardcover : 305 pages
ISBN-10 : 082482332-X
ISBN-13 : 978-0-82-482332-0
Dimensions : 8.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press (January 1, 2002)
Language: English