Beadwork

Beadwork is decorative work made by stitching, stringing, weaving, or otherwise assembling beads into ornaments, textiles, or other objects. Its materials and techniques carry distinct artistic and cultural traditions.

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Bead: A small object pierced or shaped for threading, stitching, or attachment as decoration. Beads are the units whose materials, shapes, and holes determine possible beadwork.
Beaded jewelry: Jewelry in which beads form the main structure or serve as decoration. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are among beadwork’s most familiar objects.
Paleolithic beads: Beads made during the Paleolithic period, often from shells, teeth, or stone. They show that personal ornament using beads predates agriculture and settled societies.
Zulu beadwork: Beadwork traditions of Zulu communities in southern Africa, including jewelry and clothing ornaments. Its colors and forms can communicate social relationships and identity.
Embroidery: The art of decorating fabric with needlework using thread or other materials. Bead embroidery is one form of embroidery, while beadwork also includes stringing and weaving.
Seed bead: A small, usually glass bead used in embroidery, weaving, and stringing. Its small, regular shape enables dense patterns and finely detailed surfaces.
Beaded fringe: A hanging trim made from strands or rows of beads attached along an edge. Fringe lets beadwork add movement and weight to clothing and accessories.
Trade beads: Manufactured beads exchanged through long-distance trade, especially during colonial expansion. Trade reshaped beadwork traditions by introducing new materials and market relationships.
Huichol bead art: The beadwork art of the Wixárika people of Mexico, often applied to objects with wax. Its devotional imagery connects beadwork with Wixárika ritual and cosmology.
Sequins: Small, flat, usually disk-shaped ornaments sewn onto fabric for decoration. Sequins are attached individually like beads but are flat and lack a threading hole.