Reticule, French, c1850

Glass beads, cotton knit and cord

Sablé, which translates as sand, is the finest of all beadwork. Up to 1,000 beads can be found in a 2.5 cm square of sablé work. Ingenious ways for threading had to be devised using horse or human hair, because the holes of the beads are so small that metal needles are unable to pass through them.
Accession Number: SHM.2011.B.7

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