Editing Beadwork (section)

== East Asia ==
[[File:Chinese bead curtain.png|thumb|335x335px|Chinese bead curtain, dating back to the 20th century.<ref name=":6"/> Pictures a crane in front of a pine tree, looking at the sun through its branches.  Notable that pink was considered a rare color.]]
Aside from jewelry and apparel bead work, bead curtains made a rise in the 1960-1970's. Bead curtains root back to as early as the 20th century in China,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Hector |first=Valerie |date=2013-01-01 |title=Chinese Bead Curtains, Past and Present |url=https://surface.syr.edu/beads/vol25/iss1/5/#:~:text=To%20begin,%20this%20study%20defines,screens,%20and%20types%20of%20beadwork. |journal=BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=40–71 |issn=0843-5499}}</ref> where they were known for the positive energy that they shared. They typically consist of a horizontal pole or piece of wood that has rows of string dangling vertically, each string adorned with beads from top to bottom. These curtains provide a sense of separation between rooms and sometimes to deflect insects along with their decorative qualities.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Hector |first=Valerie |date=2024 |title=An Antique Japanese Glass Bead Curtain - and Some Comparable Chinese Examples |url=https://www.valeriehector.com/blog/2020/4/14/a-japanese-glass-bead-curtain-and-some-comparable-chinese-examples |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Beading Globally |language=en-US}}</ref> They often fall under the category of ‘screen’ alongside cloth, stone, or wood, though offer a completely different sensory experience while passing though them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=kaylindebruyn |date=2017-10-27 |title=CHINESE BEAD CURTAINS, PAST AND PRESENT Valerie Hector |url=https://kaylindebruyn.wixsite.com/bfahonsresearchblog/single-post/2017/10/28/chinese-bead-curtains-past-and-present-valerie-hector#:~:text=These%20curtains%20have%20their%20roots,and%20were%20used%20as%20partitions.%22 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=bfahonsresearchblog |language=en}}</ref>

In both Chinese and Japanese glass bead curtains, they're inscribed with important messages; they often deal with auspicious factors like ‘double happiness’ and immortality. Common iconography, which was created by hanging the beads in a certain pattern, included suns and cranes, to signify happiness and peace.<ref name=":6" />

While there's no physical evidence of these existing before the 20th century, early bead curtains were found to be made of jade, agate, shell, serpentine, faience, glass, bamboo tubes, wood and seeds. They were originally referred to as knotted bead nets or corpse curtains, as they often served as a rank of wealth when an individual was buried.<ref name=":5" /> Although pearl and crystal curtains gained popularity around the same time, they were often mistaken for glass bead curtains due to looks. Historical texts indicate that pearl curtains were made from real pearls, although we lack any substantial evidence.