Mosaic 'reticella' glass bead

Large polychrome bead, diam. 2cm. Truncated bicone. A very composite affair indeed; the outer surface made up of 5 composite trails, each originally a spirally twisted thread of translucent olive, broad opaque red and one opaque yellow glass, marvered in, so that the different colours appear in diagonals; these applied trails laid on like tires, each a unit, and not applied spirally onto the surface. At either end one sees something of the inner structure; apparently an opaque black glass core, overlaid by an inner zone of the same red, yellow and olive composite trailing. Red dominates.Possibly from Grave 42 or 70. This catalogue number is used for five other bead collections, most from unknown locations in Gilton, ome from Grave 19. – D.H.