An exhibition of seed bead handbags

An exhibition of seed bead handbags

The Regional Museum and Gallery in Jičín invites you to an exhibition of "Seed Bead Handbags" which opened on Saturday 17th January 2015. The exhibition has been organised in association with the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou and the Atlas Bijoux Zásada Company which manufactures handbags made using seed beads from the PRECIOSA Traditional Czech Beads range.

"Beads and seed beads have been a popular decorative material for clothing and dress accessories for centuries. Their use in the decoration of small bags and pouches dates from the 18th century. The use of seed beads gradually changed from sewing and crocheting to weaving and even to the creation of self-bearing structures. Beads and seed beads made from glass, wood or plastic in various shapes and sizes have been used to make and decorate handbags" said Mgr. Kateřina Hrušková, the Head of the Costume Jewelry and Medalion Department at the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou. The first pouches were decorated with motifs of flowers and closed with a silk ribbon and they began to appear in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, handbags also began to change as the changes in fashion trends and the lives of people in general began to accelerate. And it is precisely this development which has been captured in the Jičín museum's first exhibition of this year. The exhibition includes handbags made from cut and chopped glass beads and seed beads, but also from plastic and wooden beads. Costume jewelry and handbags made from wooden beads became a fashion item around 1928. This trend was connected with the fact that the well-known dancer Josephine Baker famously favored wooden necklaces and accessories.
The exhibition also includes the contemporary production of handbags as represented by the Atlas Bijoux Zásada Company which makes fully crocheted handbags and textile handbags with applications of seed beads from the PRECIOSA Traditional Czech Beads range. As well as the domestic market, the company also supplies its goods to Germany, Italy and Japan. The company has been active in Zásada since 1999. As well as handbags, the exhibition also includes displays of accessories made from beads and seed beads, such as collars, belts, and cases for glasses or mobile telephones. Handbags and costume jewelry made by Atlas Bijoux Zásada will be on sale throughout the exhibition.

The "Seed Bead Handbag" exhibition will be open from 17th January to 8th March 2015. Please note the change in the opening hours: daily from 10 am to 4 pm, except Mondays. This applies to all the areas in the Regional Museum and Gallery in Jičín.