The Bowes Museum Blog

Participants of the Museum’s Ancient Artisans – Beads and Burials workshop had an exciting day on Tuesday 1 March. After handling the Museum’s collection of Anglo-Saxon beads from a burial site at Andrews Hill in Co. Durham jewellery maker Suzanne Tweddle demonstrated how to make a variety of glass beads. Using a lamp to heat the colourful rods of glass we all had a go at winding the molten glass around a mandrel to form a circular bead. We then decorated them with contrasting colours of glass to form beautifully decorative beads. We also used shaping tools to make barrel and square shaped beads. After cooling them down overnight in the kiln we will be able to use them to make our own jewellery.