Web Description:
The Edo period in Japan (1603–1868) followed a time of conflict. The entrance of European influence and Christianity into the country during the Momoyama period (1573–1615), coupled with political warfare, led Japan to enforce an isolationist policy from the 1630s. Art was by no means abandoned, however. Indeed, it prospered and became more focused on traditional artistic forms. The manufacture of glass beads grew exponentially. They were used in many decorative applications, such as on combs, on curtains, and as the ojime (slide element) on the inro (a small purse for necessities, worn with the traditional costume). While there was a definite transfer of ideas between Europeans and the Japanese before Japan’s period of isolation, many of the beads created during this period were the work of Japanese beadmakers who may have learned techniques from the Chinese, or who may have seen European books on beadmaking. A large number of these beads are easily mistaken for Venetian beads or are frequently considered to be examples of façon de Venise (the Venetian style), but the Japanese beads are often superior in style and manufacturing technique. This tombodama (a bead with two or more colors) is a superb example of the work that was being produced by the makers of Edo-period glass beads.
