Wednesday, August 3, 2011

World Beaders: Greece

How wonderful is it that we can explore the beauty of the world simply by typing a few words and pressing Enter? Today we are virtually traveling to Greece to explore the splendor of traditional beads.

Many of the beautiful images I found are of Komboloi, or worry beads. Similar to a rosary or prayer beads, these strands of baubles are a modern part of Greek culture. Though they are sometimes used with spiritual significance, worry beads typically live up to their name as a relaxation tool. Traditional Komboloi are made from natural beads like amber, and have a prime number of beads, such as 23, with a fixed bead or ‘shield’.

Worry beads - something nearly every Greek uses

Blue-bead seller

Bronze bracelet Greek Geometric 7th century BCE

Mosaic of a Panther with a Bunch of Grapes, Delos Archaeological Museum


Greece boasts one of the longest coastlines in the world, and in addition to the mainland, includes about 1400 small islands. Considered the cradle of Western civilization, Greece is a center of history and culture, and a major tourist destination. In 2002, the country was visited by more than 14 million tourists.

Beauty and Beads in Greece Photo Collage

1. Myconos-Greece,
2. Blue beads, 3. Greece, 4. Santorini Beads, 5. Greece 2003,
6. greek way of life #1: komboloi, 7. Santorini,
8. DONKEY BEADS!!, 9. Bugbeads,
10. Man with Worry Beads in Naxos, 11. worry_beads, 12. Prayer Beads, 13. Beads


Happy beading, Greece!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
Images Hosted by Flickr
Collage by BigHugeLabs.com
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the pictures of Greece. Santorini is the most amazing place, I'd love to go beading there. Cheers!
    Lori

    ReplyDelete
  2. Greece is high on my list of places to visit! After reading this, even more so now! Greece also has a centuries long tradition of "evil eye" beads - see some in your photographs. They are used to keep guard against the evil, eye, bad luck and other nasties. Love your posts, Mortira! Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Inspiration Topics

accessories amulet Ancient Worlds Modern Beads animals April's Army art ArtFire astrology astronomy autumn awards awareness bangle beach Bead Inspired Bead Shops bead soup bead spotlight bead stash Bead Trays beaded beads beading theory beads belt bezel birthstones black blog spotlight blue boho bone book spotlight bracelet Bracelet A Week branch fringe brick stitch brown bugles buttons cabochon ceramic chain maille challenge charity chevron chain christmas collar Collections color Color Ideas color triads conservation craft shows crafts crochet crystals cuff Culled Beads current events Current Faves daggers Daily Sets daisy chain Delicas Destash drops Dutch spiral earrings Egypt Egyptian Gods embellishing embroidery environment etsy exotic fair trade fantasy fashion Favorite Beads Favorite Techniques feminine fibers film findings fire polish fixtures Flashback Test flickr inspiration flowers food found object free form fringe Geek Jewels geekery gemstones geography giveaway glass gold gray Greece green herringbone hex cuts history holiday home decor insects inspiration tip inspired beader Inspired by... Inspiring Links ivory Jewelry Stash knitting ladder stitch lampwork lariat leaf fringe leather lights literature loomwork macrame magatamas Master Class Medallions metal free metalwork Mini Collar a Week mixed media mixture Mood Board MOP multi-color multi-strand music natural beads nature necklace Necklace a Day Nepal chain netting New Beads ocean ombre orange paint paper patterns pearls pendant peyote photography Picasso finish pink Pinspiration PMC polymer clay poster sketch purple quick inspiration rainbow RAW red resin ring Ring a Day rivoli Rome Russian spiral scarf science seed beads shell silver soutache spiral rope spring square stitch St. Petersburg steampunk stringing stripes summer tagua TBT The Elements thread Tilas Time Capsule tools trade beads triangle weave tribal tropical turquoise tutorial two-hole beads Ugly vintage Wear it Twice weather white winter WIP wire wishlist wood World Beaders yellow
Blog Home * About * Beading Tutorials * Advertise

Learn About Sponsoring Inspirational Beading with Project Wonderful
Affiliated With ShareASale.com and Amazon.com