Glass Trade Beads from La Belle
American Indians traded hides and furs for beads they considered precious and rare
Explorers often brought goods to North America to trade with American Indians for hides and furs that could be sold for a handsome profit in Europe. French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, brought these glass beads to North America in 1684 as part of his failed mission to establish a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Archaeologists discovered the beads aboard the wreckage of La Belle, one of La Salle's ships, when it was excavated in 1996. Chemical testing indicated that these small, glass "seed beads" were probably made in Venice, Italy.
Lender
Property of France from the collection of the Musée National de la Marine on loan from the Texas Historical Commission
About
Currency
9" Length X 1" Width X 1/4" Height
Time Period: 1519 - 1689
Display Status
This artifact is currently on view.
