Valerie Hector The art of beadwork: historical inspiration, contemporary design (ISBN 0-8320-0307-8) is an interesting combination of historical and cultural analysis of various bead-making traditions and the presentation of works by modern designers who were inspired by these traditions.
There are numerous books on contemporary bead designs, as well as many histories of bead making (which can go back as far as 75,000 years, see http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news
/2004/04/0415_040415_oldestjewelry.html
The book discusses a number of ethnic and historical beadwork traditions:
Each chapter has a brief overview of the historical bead tradition, sometimes with fascinating anecdotes (I liked the one about the “bead trees” that the beads are supposed to come from), followed by projects by contemporary bead artists based on in each of these traditions. Each project is shown with photos and detailed diagrams.
The general impression is one of amazement at the incredible creativity of the human mind that has turned these small objects into dazzling and amazing creations in so many cultures and so many periods. Even if you’re not interested in recreating any of the designs featured here, The art of beadwork It is a fascinating book that you will probably return to again and again.
