R. P. Stamm has studied all these beads and in his judgment they are exactly as described. Stamm has spent 21 years in and out of Indonesia with his jewelry and tribal arts business. He began his own collecting of ancient beads, tribal ornaments, fine ikat and batik textiles. He developed an active involvement with bead collectors and researchers from Japan, Taiwan, Italy, France as well as the U.S. This resulted in a stimulating exchange of bead information. Over time the Stamm Indonesian bead collection was sold to several collectors. A large grouping of these beads was donated by one of these collectors to the Bead Museum (now in Glendale, Arizona). That collection, together with fine pieces from other sources, has been described as one of the best collections of ancient Indonesian beads in the country.

The story of glass beads in Classical Hindu Kingdoms of Java and Sumatra is intimately bound together with trade and the spread of technology. Glassmaking was brought to Java and Sumatra by Arab and Indian merchants seeking valuable spices from the islands. There is evidence that glassmakers settled in Sumatra and Java and subsequently created beads for their specific market. The earliest bead finds in Java and Bali date between 100 B.C.E. to 300 C.E. These were the still highly valued ‘mote salah’ or false pearl, a drawn bead that has a distinctive orange-red color. According to Peter Francis, “...the original Indo-Pacific bead-making techniques from Arikamedu, India, 1st Century B.C.E., eventually transferred to Funan, the first state in South East Asia, and then in 8th through 12th Century to the Srivijaya kingdom in South Sumatra. By the time the Sailendra dynasty fell in the 12th Century, Indo-Pacific bead making had disappeared in Southeast Asia.”

Javanese beads of the Pre- and Classical Periods (250 - 1500 C.E.) seem to draw on the glass making technologies of India in the monochrome drawn glass beads and some of the striped and mosaic beads. The extra-ordinary mosaic and combed beads found in East Java seem to derive from late Persian glass techniques. An interesting side note is that some of the distinctive striped beads and ‘double eye’ beads found in Central Java and thought to date from 750 C.E. are similar - perhaps identical - to caches of beads now in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The finds were north in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The glass was analyzed and it was concluded that it was not produced in the area but was identical, in all physical respects and construction, to glass being produced in Persia in the period of 750 to 1000 C.E.

Finally, please note the research on ancient glass and beads is ongoing. Different theories are offered as new evidence is uncovered.

How these ancient beads are found is well known. Java has been densely populated for a long time. It was in an archipelago that had a wealth of valuable spices and exotic woods such as teak, ebony and sandalwood. Being strategically positioned for trade between China and India gave Sumatra and Java great power and wealth. This led to several high cultures developing in this area, the Sumatran kingdom of Srivijaya (3rd century C.E.) and the subsequent Javanese dynasties of Sanjaya (732 C.E.), Sailendra (778 C.E.), Mataram (864 C.E.), Kediri (1045 C.E.), Singhasari (1222 C.E.) and Majapahit (1293-1500 C.E.).

The Indonesian archipelago also sits on the ‘Ring of Fire’, meaning that there are frequent volcanic events and attendant earthquakes. Over hundreds of years volcanic eruptions routinely covered the countryside with ash and things were buried. This area is heavily terraced for wet rice cultivation. During particularly heavy monsoons heavy erosion can occur and previously buried artifacts see the light of day. The island of Java is densely populated and there is much poverty. A rice farmer repairing broken terraces due to heavy runoff, discovering such treasure on his land will take advantage of it, government strictures notwithstanding. The prized finds were ceramics, gold, statuary and other bronze pieces from the Classical Period of Java (650-1500 C.E.). For a long time beads were thrown aside as trinkets of little value.

It was in the early or mid Eighties that a few ancient Javanese beads began appearing in the antique markets in Java and Bali. These quickly attracted bead collectors and more beads appeared. Unfortunately, starting with the late Eighties and the Nineties, enterprising people began reshaping some ancient glass into more sale-able forms and eventually the inevitable reproduction beads from East Java. To the trained eye the difference between the authentic and the reproduction is readily apparent.

The collection also features a couple of other bead types. First there are the glass beads usually found on the islands of Sumba and Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) and others in the Indonesian archipelago. These beads are associated with the Dutch Colonial period from 1605 - 1940. The glass beads generally have a wound as opposed to drawn construction. They appear to be from the Dutch as well as the Chinese trade. Occasionally these beads will be mixed with beads made of shell.

Another very interesting bead is the deer horn bead from Sumba. These beads are made from the tips of the antlers of the tropical deer native to the island. Only royalty was permitted to hunt this animal and only on auspicious occasions. About two or three beads were worn on a necklace and indicated high social rank. Sadly, during the late 20th Century many of these objects were sold off as the island ‘modernized’. Imitations have appeared, but lack the patina and character of the originals.

Sumba is an island with a history of interesting and unique customs. Perhaps indulging in a bit of speculation, Marco Polo on his travels in Asia refers to a place that could easily be Sumba. The fourth voyage of Sinbad from the tales of Sheherezad in the Arabian Nights describes a place that seems eerily like the Sumba of old.