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Confessions of a Bead Hoarder
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Cherry Brand Glass Beads: Vintage Bead Spotlight
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Cherry Brand Glass Beads: Vintage Bead Spotlight
Sometimes here at A Grain of Sand, we discover some glass beads which are so amazing, we simply must tell you about them. This week, our featured rare finding is vintage Japanese Cherry Brand glass beads and cabochons. These beautiful beads are vintage productions by glass artisans from Osaka, Japan dated between 1945 to 1952. Cherry Brand is truly a rare find to add to your beading collection. Don't be fooled by knock-off brands - our stock of Cherry Brand is the real deal! Read below for more history.
Cherry Brand: A Short History
Cherry Brand beads were made in Osaka, Japan dating between 1945 to 1952. The creators of the Cherry Brand glass beads were a group of artisans who were rice farmers by day, and bead glass workers by night in their homes and during their off season. The Cherry Brand beads came into popularity near the end of World War II.
Soon after World War II officially ended in 1945, American dealers started coming to the bead making districts and requesting the groups of the artisans to make glass beads for them. The amount of the order was enormous, and therefore, the artisans had to make beads tirelessly into the wee hours of the night.
Are Cherry Brand beads still made today? No, they aren't. The peak year of mass productions of Cherry Brand beads was 1951. After that, the orders from American dealers gradually declined and eventually ceased at the end of the U.S. Occupation.
We just love these beads and now you have a little of the history that goes with them. Vintage Cherry Brand glass beads are becoming more and more rare these days. Since these vintage glass beads are no longer in production, once you get some of these vintage beads, we recommend that you hoard them.
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