Replica of a Celtic glass bead with a double eye motif. The bead is handmade at a glass torch using the ancient winding technique, in which molten glass is wrapped around a metal rod – comparable to bead production in the Hallstatt period. Similar beads appear as early as the Early Iron Age, but their popularity continued into the early medieval period.
- Bead dimensions approx. 12×9 mm to 10×14 mm, perforation 3 mm – suitable for cords up to 2.5 mm in diameter
- Replica: Štramberk – Šipka Cave, Czech Republic
- Material: glass
- Made in the Czech Republic
Celtic wound glass beads from the Iron Age represent an important archaeological source for the study of technology, trade, and symbolism within La Tène communities. These beads were predominantly produced by winding molten glass onto a metal mandrel and are often decorated with applied bosses, eye motifs, or wavy lines in contrasting colours. They are most commonly dated to the Late Iron Age (c. 5th–1st century BC). Finds derive from both settlement contexts and burial grounds, where they occur mainly in female and child graves and less frequently in male burials. Significant find regions are known from Central Europe, particularly Bohemia, Moravia, southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy. Research highlights their use as components of necklaces, bracelets, or dress accessories, as well as their possible apotropaic and status-related significance. Chemical analyses indicate the use of soda-lime glass and suggest long-distance contacts with the Mediterranean region.
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